Tanya had been a victim of very, very bad nightmares that constantly clouded her mind and took over her nights. It had been a thing she has had to deal with since she was a kid. Back then, she had her mother to comfort her. Always whispering reassuring words to her until she fell right back asleep and calmed down.
As she got older and her life was changing around her, so did the nightmares. And when Brian became a cop and she left, they got worse. It was like every step she took in her life, they got worse and worse each time. But the worse time she had was when she had killed for the first time. Remembering how she stabbed the man in the throat with a pair of scissors and grabbing the handles and yanking them apart. Ripping open the man's throat as his eyes stared up at her widely. The blood painting her hands as it slowly seeped out of the wound in his neck. His skin growing pale quickly before any life in his body slowly left. Leaving his shallow shell of a body in her grasp and dull eyes staring back at her.
That image always played in her head and she would always see him talking to her. The blood all over the floor and his throat ripped open with scissors still in his throat. It was a gruesome image that often she would wake up sweating and immediately throw up from. But as she killed more and more, they didn't hold such a weight on her mind except for that first kill. That would never leave her. It was the tipping point that changed her for the rest of her life.
But when Luke walked into her life, that changed her for the better. When they spent their first official night together, no nightmares plagued Tanya's mind. She slept soundly and she knew she needed to keep Luke close. He was the cure to her sleepless night, even if some nights their warm body moved together in such ways that made Tanya's head spin in ecstasy. Those were the only nights where she was absolutely fine with not sleeping. But whenever he went on a mission and she stayed back to watch the kids, she would experience the nightmares in full swing. Like they had been craving to cause her life a living hell, like some type of greeting in the worse possible way.
Which was why when a knock could be heard on the car window, Tanya felt her heart jump out of her chest. Quickly gripping the gun with both hands and pointing at the window. The palm of her finger ready to pull the trigger as her chest rose and fell drastically. Sweat building around her hairline as her skin was pale and she could feel her stomach-churning. Her breathing was slightly laboured from how sick she felt.
Her tired eyes steadily regained their sight and she saw it was Brian with his hands up. A shocked and worried look on his face as he stared at his sister. Tanya watched as Brian slowly reached for the door handle and opened it. She couldn't think straight from the nightmare and how she was feeling, everything felt like it was going blank. Cautious of his sister who seemed to be in her head and not fully there in reality with him. Once the door was opened, Brian stared into his sister's eyes with his hands still up in surrender. "Tanya, it's me. Brian." He began with his voice just above a whisper. He didn't want to panic Mia or Dom because if they came overrunning and yelling, Tanya could freak out and shoot either him or them.
"I'm going to take that from you, okay?" He said as Tanya's heavy breathing could be heard. Brian took the silence as an okay and slowly stepped forward. Reaching forward cautiously with one hand and gripped the top of the gun and angling it to the side. Making sure if Tanya wanted to shoot, she wouldn't hit him with the first bullet.
So as slow as possible and not to freak his sister out, Brian took the gun away. Watching how her hands shook noticeably when her hand didn't have the weapon in her hand. Her hands were sweaty and Brian could see by how they glistened in the lights above them. He placed the gun in the back of his pants as Tanya stood up from the car. Feeling her balance slightly falter as she quickly caught herself, but immediately after doing so, she vomited.
Brian was quick to grab her hair and hold it back as he rubbed his sister's back. Comforting her as she let everything out of her body. If he was honest, when he saw how she was yesterday, he had been concerned about his sister's health. He didn't know how long she'd been feeling like this, but it was worrying him.
When Tanya stood up, wiping her mouth as she let out a breath. Tears in her eyes from the genuine pain her body was feeling all over. Not thinking when she hugged her brother. Brian didn't hesitate to hug her back and give her the comfort she needed.
"You okay?" Brian mused as his sister gave a tiny nod, but Brian was unconvinced. Although he felt this way, he kept himself back from pressing. If Tanya didn't want to tell him the truth then that was fine. But he would be there for her when she needed him, despite their differences of each other at the moment.
Rubbing her back, Brian sighed. "We should get ready for the team to be here." He told her and Tanya pulled away with a nod. Brushing her hair out of her face and hugging herself. She wished Luke was here, he would know what to do. But she knew Brian was doing his best and she was grateful for it. "Yeah, let's go." She muttered as she stepped away from him.
Leaving a concerned brother to watch her walk away with no exact explanation as to what she was feeling. But never the less, he followed after her and ready at any moment to be the big brother he should've been years ago and comfort his little sister.
