As Siobhan sat sniffling in the passenger seat of Sara's car, something clicked into place within her mind. She'd just been brave enough to fight off a man who was trying to hurt her. For the first time in so long she'd had the strength to defend herself and her body, managing to prevent someone from taking her autonomy away from her. She knew that all she wanted was for Sara to hold her and all she had to do was ask the brunette. Finally, she had a choice and she'd chosen something that made her unhappy, despite knowing what she really desired.
Sara drove in silence, following her phones directions leading her to Siobhan's house. Once they'd arrived the two women approached the front door slowly, both slightly unsure how to proceed. Siobhan opened the door and smiled warmly when she heard Elizabeth's paws hitting the floor, followed by her little bell jingling. She immediately scooped the little fur-ball up into her arms and as she did so, Sara asked "so this is Elizabeth?" Little green orbs were eyeing her suspiciously and as she went to stroke her, Elizabeth hissed before attempting to take a swipe at Sara's hand. The brunette giggled and said "she's protecting you. You've got a little body guard." Siobhan couldn't help but giggle slightly in response before gently placing Elizabeth on the ground.
The blond walked through to the lounge and sat down on the sofa before sighing deeply. Her heart was pounding and as Sara sat down next to her, she fought the urge to collapse against her immediately. Sara caught her hand gently and said "do you want to talk about what happened tonight? It's fine if you don't." The urge Siobhan felt deep down in her chest was so intense and she knew that in that moment, she needed and wanted to tell Sara everything. So she began to speak, starting with Roger and the day that she'd met him. She spoke of the man that she'd thought he was and the man that he'd really turned out to be. When Siobhan described the horrific ways in which he'd abused her, Sara moved closer and wrapped her arm around the blonds waist. Elizabeth was curled up on the floor, watching the two women intently. She seemed satisfied that Sara had no intention of hurting Siobhan, but she remained unamused at the intrusion nonetheless.
When Siobhan told Sara that she'd downloaded the dating app the morning after they'd kissed, she'd expected to see disappointment behind the brunettes eyes. A small part of her was terrified that Sara would react angrily although she didn't really believe that she would. She needn't have worried, because all she saw was genuine concern and as she described her date with Steve and explained how he'd treated her, Sara looked utterly devastated. The brunette placed her hand on Siobhan's cheek and whispered "you are so strong. The way that you've been treated is abhorrent. You know nothing that's happened to you is your fault, don't you?" Siobhan wasn't always so sure that she did know that, but as she looked into Sara's eyes, in that moment she truly believed it.
Although Siobhan felt relieved to have finally unloaded so much trauma, she was completely exhausted. The only thing that she truly wanted was to crawl into bed and get warm under the covers. Pressing her forehead against the brunettes, she quietly asked "can we just lie down together?" Sara pulled Siobhan flush against her body in response before simply replying "of course baby."
Once they were upstairs Siobhan lent Sara a set of black silk pyjamas before retreating to the bathroom to get changed. Once she was ready, she tucked Elizabeth into her little cat bed while Sara looked on, intrigued. Seeing how much Siobhan cared for her tiny companion genuinely warmed her heart and as she watched the blond, she thought for the millionth time how beautiful she was.
Siobhan's heart was pounding again as she slipped under the covers, but once she felt the warmth of Sara's body beside her she didn't feel so nervous. The brunette pushed one arm underneath Siobhan, before placing the other around her torso, pulling her as close as she possibly could. The blond rested her head gently on Sara's chest, sighing when she realised how safe and warm she felt. She hadn't felt like that for years. Sara could feel Siobhan's heart beat slowing down as she relaxed into their embrace.
The brunette kissed Siobhan's forehead lightly before whispering "you go to sleep baby. I promise, everything will be different in the morning."
YOU ARE READING
IN THE SHADOWS - (TNN - SIOBHAN/SARA/VARIOUS)
Fanfiction**COMPLETED** What's really hidden within Siobhan's heart? What's been lurking in the shadows this whole time? Can she open herself up and accept the love that she deserves? Can she learn to see the world differently?
