*Warning: Slight spoilers ahead for season 3! Read at your own risk.*

Breakeven

A continuation of season 3- Episode 1: Glue


"I lied to everyone that I know where you are, I guess... I just need to believe you're okay." The words from Tara's voicemail seemed to play on a loop in Christian's head as he stared at the phone in his hand. The message was from three days ago and it was annoying as hell, no matter how much he willed the words to go away-they simply wouldn't. Why couldn't he just grow a spine and call her?

After sighing again, he returned the phone back into his pocket. He knew why he couldn't call her. He couldn't call her because she would ask him to come back to the academy. And he couldn't do that. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't belong there. He belonged somewhere else, probably in jail. And Tara deserved better than that. He knew Ben was the better choice for her. He was the exact opposite of Christian. The skater rubbed his face with both of his hands. It killed him to stay away. But he needed to stay away. In the end it would be better for her. So because he loved her so much, he would stay away from her- from the family he had created at the academy...


But two days later that all changed, when he ignored yet another call this one from Kat. After the phone had finally stopped ringing and the beep that signaled he had a new voicemail, he picked up his phone and listened to the voicemail...

"Christian," her voice gave him the vibe that she had been crying, "I know you're being all M.I.A right now, but Tara's been hurt."

Christian could have sworn he felt his heart stop for a moment. His Training Bra had been hurt?

Kat's voice continued to speak, "And I know you still love her. So I need you to prove it. Come and visit her. She needs you right now. We're at the hospital closest to the academy. If you still love her or even loved her at all for that matter... you'll show up. Well I guess that's it then. Bye Christian. I'll see you later then I guess if you even decide to show up." The recording ended, followed by a long silence.

Christian was up, shoving his wallet into his back pocket within seconds. Many questions went through his brain as he hailed the cab and told the driver the address. Was Tara alright? What happened? Was Tara going to be alright? The questions in his brain seemed to be like a coil. The more the questions came, the tighter the coil got. What if Tara was...no! He couldn't think like that! While taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down. Right now Tara was hurt and she needed him. Plus Kat would have told him if she was. Right?

When the cab arrived at the hospital, Christian almost rushed off without paying the driver if it wasn't for him yelling at Christian. "Kid, where's my pay?"

After muttering an apology and shoving some money the driver's way, Christian ran into the hospital without a second glance to the driver.

Just as he was about ask the receptionist about Tara a male snide voice behind him spoke, "Well look who finally decided to show up?"

Christian turned to find a furious looking Ben leaning against a white wall. A teary eyed and a very bruised Abigail stood beside him.

"Ben," she hissed in a shaky voice, "Not here, and definitely not now!"

"Why not?" Ben snapped rounding on his black haired friend. "He's been gone for three whole months without so much as phone call! And now he just decides to reappear?"

Then the usually happy brunette whirled around and marched over to the Asian boy and shoved him back, "Who even called you anyway?"

Before Christian could utter a word, Kat's voice rang across the quiet hospital lobby. "I called him Ben."

"What?" Ben turned around, "Why?"

Over Ben's shoulder, Christian noticed that Kat two was very much bruised and he had been right by the looks of her red and puffy face, she had been crying.

Walking to where the two guys stood; she said with her voice cracking and breaking all over the place, "Because, no matter how much you may hate it; Tara cares about him and would want him here."

Then she dissolved into tears again and Abigail came to hug and comfort her. In that moment Christian knew that something was just wrong with Tara, no. Something was really wrong with Tara. He could feel sadness and anger come together to combine to form one super emotion, but he forced himself to calm down. Tara needed him.

After Abigail had finally gotten Kat to stop crying, Christian went up to them; seeing as those two were the only ones trying to remotely civil to him.

"What happened?" He asked.

Abigail smiled a slow sad smile, "Tara had suggested a girls' day out on the town. Fifteen minutes later we were in a cab going into the city right?" She gave him a humorless laugh. "And then some drunken guy, he crashed into us; making the car flip over. But Tara saw before Kat and I did. So she asked me to switch seats with her and the next thing we knew there was a crushing of metal and Tara lying on the hood of the over turned car." Another humorless, bitter laugh and Kat released a sob.

"She looked so lifeless just lying there." Kat chimed in with another sob. Clenching his jaw he tried to control the anger he was feeling. Through gritted teeth he asked, "Is she going to be okay?"

Kat nodded. "But it all depends on her recovery if she can dance again."

"Will you take me to her room?" He asked, feeling as if he was talking underwater. They nodded and without another word turned around started to walk down hallway. After glancing behind him, he trailed after the two girls.

Upon arriving in front of the big white door of Tara's room, Christian braced himself for what he might see.

"We'll give you two sometime alone." Abigail said as she and Kat turned and began to walk back down the hallway. And then with one last deep breath, the skater opened the door.


"You can come in, I won't bite." Tara tried to smile when she his head poke in, but Christian could tell it was fake and that most definitely had been crying to. And her face was bruised just as badly as Kat's and Abigail's were. With a weak half smile that didn't quite meet his eyes, Christian fully stepped into the room. Smiling back sadly, she nodded her head toward the white chair that stood by her bed.

"Will you come and sit by me? Please." The farm girl pleaded. Her brown eyes were wide and blood shot as they stared into his. And he knew he couldn't deny her of anything right now. And that's how he ended up sitting in an uncomfortable and clutching her hand closest to him tightly in both of his hands.

"How bad is it?" Christian asked.

"I broke my angle in three different places and broke my back again…" She trailed off looking down at her hands. You could still see dried blood caked under her finger nails.

Pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear; he asked, "There's something else isn't there?"

He was trying to keep his voice soft, soothing and gentle. But…damn it was hard. Here was the girl he was in love with, hurt and he couldn't do anything to make her feel better. It was his mother all over again. Suddenly, something wet hit the back of his hand. Christian looked up and saw Tara silently crying. As he stood up to wipe the moisture off her face, Tara spoke. "They told me there's a ninety-five percent chance I could never dance again…"

That's when she fully broke down full on sobbing. And that's also when Christian carefully moved his body to lie on the bed beside her; carefully holding her to his chest. Her sobs seemed to rack his body as he tightened his hold on her protectively.

"Shh," The skater ran his hand through her hair in an act to calm her down.

"It's not fair!" Her screams were muffled by his chest. And Christian couldn't agree more. It wasn't fair that all this had happened. But then again, people did say 'life isn't fair'.

Pretty soon, Tara cried herself to sleep. Looking down at the farm girl, the skater tightened his hold on her and made himself more comfortable. As Christian looked up at the white celling; he whispered, "I really don't know if you can hear me Mom. But if you can, please give this to her. Dancing is everything to her. And I love her. So please, please Mom let her be able to dance again."

And with that he closed his eyes and fell into a light snooze; knowing that now that he was here with the girl he loved, he would never be able to let her go again.


So this was requested to me by a guest. I hope I did it justice! Remember to send me prompts and if you want to see a certain episode done 'Tristian' style!