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

-87-

Not edited.

Tara read the words on the embossed paper over and over again. Her mind tried everything it could to bring them back into line with little success.

Mrs Moira Chambers

Just reading the name sent her heart into a pumping frenzy and left her gasping for breath.

Her shaky fingers traced over the letters M...O...I...R...A. Could it really be? Was there really a chance she was still alive?

The words she read certainly seemed real. Almost pleading in their tone they gripped at everything in her and she found herself standing up from the side of the bed and running from the room.

Her eyes blinded by tears she almost ran into Peter as he was heading out of his room.

"Woah" he grabbed her by the arms to stop her from falling backwards to the floor "Tara? What the hell's wrong honey?"

His eyed searched over her before settling back on her face to see her mouth moving but obviously struggling to speak.

"Tara... come on honey. Breath for your old Dad here..Take some breaths and tell me what this is about."

She shook her head furiously and as his grip lessened on her arms she stepped away and grabbed his right hand and crushed the paper she held into his palm.

"Tara? What.." he questioned with raised eyebrows as he straightened out the page and began to read.

"Oh my!" He looked at her quickly. "Is this..." he shook his head in amazement as she nodded "Tara this is wonderful honey!"

"Please" she whispered. It was all her choked up throat would allow. "Please."

"You want to go?"Peter questioned.

She nodded with tears streaming down her face faster than they were. Peter pulled her into his arms and held the back of her head as she wept into his chest.

"I'll take you honey. Right now. We'll go and see Moira. Hell girl. This is..." he pulled back and looked down to the girl he proudly called his daughter and her tear stained smile met his own happy expression and he grinned.

"Go and wash your face and I'll grab my keys" he shook his head with a laugh as she went to protest, her thoughts obviously about leaving quickly "Honey, you may be beautiful but I know you'll kill me if I take you out like that."

Tara started to laugh and wiped her face with the back of her hands with a nod.

"I won't be long."

"I'll meet you in the kitchen" Peter called out to her.

"Ok!" she called back.

Peter shook his head with a grin and returning to his room to get his keys he realised he still had the letter in his hand.

He read it again and with a grin he happily left the room. His thoughts on how much Tara deserved this moment.

Explaining the situation to Maggie while waiting for Tara filled him with pride. Maggie grinned as much as he did and when Tara entered the kitchen she couldn't help but hug the young woman.

"I'm so happy for you sweetheart. This is amazing news."

"Mum" Tara choked.

"Hush now. This is a happy moment. Don't cry now you've got your face looking so nice. Just go and enjoy your time."

A few more words were said but soon, Peter had negotiated the busy afternoon traffic and they were pulling up in front of the address that appeared on the letter and Tara was asking the woman at the reception desk for the way to Moira Chambers room.

"Oh my... you're Tara?"

Tara nodded with a grin.

"Oh she's going to be so happy to see you."

Tara felt her heart flutter and was very grateful for the hand that Peter had placed on her shoulder.

She knocked lightly on the door and took a deep breath before exhaling at the called out "Come in".

Opening a door never seemed as dificult as this and she paused with her hand on the door knob and looked at Peter.

"What if she doesn't like me?"

Peter took up her spare hand and gave it a squeeze.

"She'll love you like the rest of us do."

She smiled with a gulp and nodded and turned back to the door and as the latch clicked open the door swung forward to reveal a homely room filled with pictures of her mother and her.

Tears filled her eyes as she met the gaze of the elderly woman sitting at a small table near the window.

"Tara?" The older woman sound almost frightened to say her name in case she was seeing an illusion.

Tara nodded and swallowed the growing lump in her throat.

"Hello Grandma."

Mere moment later Tara was kneeling at the feet of the woman her father had told her was dead with her arms wrapped around her waist and sobs filling the room from them both.

Her grandmother patted and soothed her as she fought her own battle to keep control of her emotions. As she explained in her letter, a letter that she'd sent nearly two years ago, she was looking for the Granddaughter that had been taken away with her parents as a child and then by her father after the death of her mother. Her letter stated that if she was indeed the girl she, her grandmother, was looking for then she wanted to meet her again, to let her know she wasn't alone. She wanted to tell her that she had a grandmother that loved her and missed her dearly.

"You look just like your mother at your age."

********

Tara has a grandma!!!!! YAY!!!!! I'm thinking of giving you all a teaser paragraph from the epilogue which we all know is just around the corner... but not yet cause I have more to write.

:-D