Taming the Bitch (COMPLETED)

Chapter LV - IT'S ALL COMING BACK

Gabrielle woke screaming, her body shaking violently.

"Please s-stop..." she cried, her hands trembling, trying to push away a figure looming over her. Pain and panic twisted together as she flinched from the nightmare, the memory of him—the man who had hurt her so long ago—filling every corner of her mind.

"V-vince...!!!" tears streamed down her face. Her nose bled, a bruise forming across her eye. She sniffed the coppery scent of blood and recoiled, panic-stricken. She tried to push him away, but her body felt paralyzed, trapped in the terror that clung to her like a second skin.

The nightmare consumed her—pain, fear, betrayal—all colliding as Vincent's face and voice morphed into the haunting memories she had buried.

Suddenly, a tiny, panicked voice broke through the darkness.

"Mooooom!!!"

Veronica's arms wrapped around her, small and determined, pulling her back from the abyss. "Mooooommyyyy!!!" she cried, burying her face against Gabrielle's chest. Gabrielle gasped, her sobs blending with her daughter's, her panic slowly replaced by the grounding warmth of Nic's embrace.

"Bella... hush, baby... it was a nightmare..." Vincent's voice came softly. He lifted her protectively, but she swatted his hands away, sobs wracking her body.

"Leave..." Gabrielle whispered hoarsely, pressing Nic to her chest. She held her daughter as tightly as if to shield herself from every dark memory.

Vincent hesitated, the heartbreak in her eyes piercing him. Nic clung to her mother, whispering words of comfort, her small presence tethering Gabrielle to the present.

"Please... drink some water..." Vincent suggested softly, but he understood she needed more than anything to be left alone, cradling the only person who could make her feel safe again.

"Mommy, I'm here..." Nic whispered, her voice soft, steady, and full of love. Gabrielle breathed deeply, letting the warmth of her daughter's body soothe the terror still thrumming in her chest.

"I wove you, Mom..." Nic murmured. Gabrielle closed her eyes, pressing a kiss to the top of her daughter's head.

"Don't ever leave me, baby... don't ever go away from Mommy..." she whispered, rocking slightly. Nic nodded, pressing closer.

"I wove you, Mommy... I wiw oweys be here..."

Gabrielle exhaled slowly, tears streaming, as her daughter's innocent devotion reminded her why life still had meaning. The nightmares wouldn't stop, not yet—but with Nic, she could survive. She could fight to live, for her child.

The next morning, Gabrielle sat at the breakfast table, utterly exhausted. Veronica sat between her and Vincent, drinking her milk from a bottle while Gabrielle's own food remained untouched. Her eyes were vacant, staring at nothing in particular.

Vincent watched her quietly, his heart tightening. Her grief was still raw, visible in the misty eyes that refused to meet him. He gently touched Nic's hand, drawing her attention and taking the bottle.

"Take a rest..." he whispered, placing a comforting hand on Gabrielle's shoulder. Her gaze flickered toward him, grief-heavy and empty.

"I'll take care of Nic... please, take a rest, baby..." he murmured. He lifted her daughter slightly in his arms and offered a simple, joyful solution: "What do you say we play or watch a film together, my love?"

Nic, sensitive to her mother's pain, ignored him and reached for Gabrielle. Vincent tried again: "Let Mommy rest for a day, baby... Dada will be with you. We can swim or catch butterflies in the garden. What do you say?"

Her blue eyes met his, and finally, a small smile appeared. "Can we catch butterfways for Mommy, Dada?" she whispered. Vincent smiled and kissed her nose, heart lifting as he realized the little girl's presence could anchor Gabrielle, even if only temporarily.

He turned back to Gabrielle. Her eyes were misty, her soul still heavy with grief.

"Please take a rest, Bella..." he said, squeezing her shoulder before stepping back to let her watch them, to let her breathe.

Later, in the pool, Vincent played with Veronica, pushing her on a swan float, letting her pretend to be Ariel while he became a "huge, bad shark." Her laughter echoed across the water, pure and innocent.

Her squeals, her excitement, her trust—it all reminded him why he stayed, why he had to do better. And behind the window, Gabrielle watched.

Her chocolate eyes were filled with grief, longing, and regret. She saw her daughter laughing, playing, bonding with the man who had once hurt her, the father of her child. If only life had been different. If only the nightmares hadn't stolen so much.

She would have given Nic everything—everything Vincent could not undo. She would have let him in, for her daughter's sake. But the past remained, heavy as ever, reminding her that healing was not yet complete.

And yet, as she watched, a small, fragile hope stirred—hope that maybe, one day, the family could be whole again.