Chapter 4: Misunderstandings
"Are you all right? Quick, come inside. Vincent, can you get her a towel?" Catherine led Tasha in from the cool night air and into the living room. Neither Vincent nor Catherine could figure out what the young woman was doing here, but they guessed they would soon find out. Vincent left and returned with a towel and a large blanket as Catherine relieved Tasha of her jacket and led her to the fireplace.
"Can I get you anything else? Tea perhaps?" Vincent asked.
"Scotch would be better," Tasha said, wrapping the blanket around herself. "Sorry to barge in like this. Honestly, I thought this place would be empty. If I'd known you two'd be here, I would a just gone back to my place." It was then that Tasha noticed Catherine's attire, not to mention Vincent's rumbled and hastily buttoned (most of the buttons were in the wrong place) shirt. She cocked an eyebrow. "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"
"We're never to busy for a friend Tasha," Vincent stated, trying to ease her embarrassment (not to mention his own), "but what troubles me is the reason you have come here."
Catherine sat Tasha and herself down on the couch. As Tasha used the towel on her soaked hair, Catherine asked, "Did something happen?"
Tasha immediately stopped toweling her hair. Her eyes got dark and her mouth curved into a frown. Her voice was full of spite when she answered. "Oh something happened all right, and it's all that damn idiot brother of yours fault." Tasha glared daggers at Vincent. Both Catherine and Vincent were surprised at Tasha's outburst. They had heard Tasha playfully tease Devin before, but never had she held such anger toward him.
Vincent sat down in the chair opposite the two women. "Tasha, what has Devin done to upset you so?"
"We thought you and Devin were getting along so well," Catherine added.
"So did I." All of a sudden the poor girl began bursting out in tears. Catherine placed her hands on Tasha's shoulders and let her cry on her shoulder. Catherine looked at Vincent and he nodded his head. The look Catherine was giving him was one meaning the two women needed to talk alone. Vincent stood and excused himself, saying he needed to check on the children. Once Vincent was gone and out of earshot, Catherine turned back to the weeping woman in her arms.
Tasha was finally starting to calm down. "I mean, we've been having a few argument over the past few months, but tonight—tonight it just all went to hell."
"What have you two been fighting about," Catherine asked.
"Just little things: date night cancellations, busy schedules. One night Dev says he wants me to move in, and I told him not unless he plans to give me a ring. Just the usual couple stuff." Catherine took a few tissues from the coffee table to dry her eyes. "B-But tonight, I-I—I just don't know what to do."
"Now Tasha, why don't you start from the beginning," Catherine coaxed. She wanted to help her friend but she needed to know what had happened that night.
It was a few more minutes before Tasha was able to speak. She finally calmed her breathing and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Well, Devin and Charles have been in town for a few days, and tonight he came over to meet my parents…"
~Flashback~
Earlier that evening…
After dinner Mr. Lockhart excused his daughter and her boyfriend. Tasha had already given her father his Father's Day gift and wanted to some time with Devin before going back to the cabin where Devin and Charles were staying. When Tasha had stopped by to pick up Devin, she'd dropped off her lion, Thomas, to keep Charles company.
After they left the Lockhart's home, Tasha and Devin went out to enjoy themselves. Usually Devin would take Tasha out to a nice restaurant or to an action packed movie. Tonight they had decided to go to a new bar outside of the city. It had karaoke, pool tables, and a wide selection of alcohol. They had already played three rounds of pool (Tasha winning two games) and were having a drink before trying their hand at karaoke.
"Come on babe, do I really have to?" Devin complained for the fifth time.
"Hey you agreed that if I won we'd sing," Tasha stated. "So finish your drink and get your butt on stage."
"How bout you sing one song, and I'll join you the next time around."
"Fine but that just means I'm picking a sappy romance song for your punishment. Hmm… I think "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" will do nice. Or maybe "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life." You get to be Bill Medley and I can be Jennifer Warnes." Devin groaned as she walked over to the songbook to select her song. She settled on Michael Jackson's "Bad." With her song chosen, Tasha got up on stage, grabbed the mic. Once the song started, and the chorus came up, she sang her heart out.
But They Say The Sky's
The Limit
And To Me That's Really True
And My Friends You Have
Seen Nothin'
Just Wait 'Til I Get Through . . .
Because I'm Bad, I'm Bad-
Come On
(Bad Bad-Really, Really Bad)
You Know I'm Bad, I'm Bad-
You Know It
(Bad Bad-Really, Really Bad)
You Know I'm Bad, I'm Bad-
You Know It, You Know
(Bad Bad-Really, Really Bad)
And The Whole World Has To
Answer Right Now
(And The Whole World Has To
Answer Right Now)
Just To Tell You Once Again,
(Just To Tell You Once Again)
Who's Bad . . .
Devin watched her from the barstool. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have such an amazing woman as his girlfriend. Sure she was hot-tempered and stubborn to boot. Not to mention she could kick ass if anyone made it on her hit list. But besides her natural skills in a fight, she was a beautiful woman. Devin didn't like to brag, but he had to be the luckiest guy in the world to have such a gorgeous, sexy woman for a girlfriend. Her Scottish charm really reflected in both her personality and her looks.
As she sang Devin noticed all the things he loved about her. How her red hair moved like fire as she swayed to the music. Her voice was a sweet river of music in his ears. Sure she had quite a lovely figure but the thing Devin noticed about her the most was her beautiful, emerald green eyes. No matter how many times they had a small tiff, or she teased him relentlessly with the "Scar face" nickname; one look into those eyes and he was putty in her hands.
Just as his ladylove was finishing the last verse a group of bikers came in. They sat down at the bar and started joking around until the leader looked up at Tasha. Devin noticed the way that guy was looking at her, and he didn't like it. Much to Devin's dismay the guy had sat down one barstool away from him.
"Hey boss," one of the biker's buddies said, "check out the redhead up there. Quite a set of pipes."
"Pipes? Who's paying attention with a rack like that?" another one joined in. The bartender noticed Devin's knuckles were turning white as his grip tightened on his beer bottle.
"Yeah she's a real Jessica Rabbit," said the leader. "Bet you boys fifty big ones I get that home tonight."
Just as Devin was about to stand and belt the lecher and his dirt bags in their filthy mouths, Tasha's song ended. Everyone clapped and she walked off the stage right toward Devin. Unfortunately that very same lecher had stood up and crossed in front of her path.
"Excuse me, do you have a quarter?" he asked, "My mother told me to call home when I met the girl of my dreams."
"Where'd you get that line, the back of a cheap Playboy?" Tasha tried to move aside but this guy was persistent.
"Now don't be like that. Come on, what's a hot little honey like you doing without someone like me?"
"Look pal, I know what your game is and I'm not playing. Now how about you move before I make you sing like a choir boy."
"Whoa, look out boys," the biker called to his buddies, "This one's got some fire. You must me a wild cat in bed." He grabbed Tasha by the arm.
"Don't touch me!" Tasha warned.
"Ooh, watcha gonna do, spank me?" he crudely laughed.
"No but her boyfriend might say something about it." The biker turned around only to have his face meet the end of Devin's fist. Devin pulled Tasha to the side as the creep started to get to his feet.
"You all right babe?" he asked.
"Devin I can handle this," Tasha insisted. But Devin had his eyes back on the biker gang.
"Why don't you and your friends get out of here before there's trouble."
"You gonna pay for that pretty boy," the guy Devin punched yelled. "Nobody get's between Butch when he's trying to score a piece of tail."
Before another word was said the two men were locked into a heated fight. Each one threw several blows to the other. It didn't take long before the whole bar was caught up in the commotion. A circle formed around them as they threw each other across the room. When one managed to get a punch to the other's jawbone, the other would slam his fist into his opponent's stomach.
The fight was getting out of hand. Furniture was being smashed and Tasha was sure bones would be next. She had to stop this. She tried yelling over the brawl to get the men to stop. Unfortunately she had gotten a little to close and one of the guys slugged her in the jaw and knocked her to the floor. If Devin hadn't been busy punching his fists into his opponent's face, he'd realize that now was a go time to be running.
"Ok," Tasha yelled, "Now I'm gonna kick some ass!"
Getting to her feet Tasha dove in between the two brawling men. First she ripped the biker off of Devin and threw him to the ground. As he got back to his feet, Devin was about to go for another punch when Tasha grabbed the back of his neck. She grabbed the other man neck and the smashed their heads together. They both felt a little dazed, but before they could try for each other again Tasha grabbed them both by the ear. Both men immediately stopped fighting and focused on the pain. They looked liked two schoolboys being scolded by the principle for fighting.
"Now listen up, the BOTH of ya," Tasha growled before releasing her boyfriend. "Dev, next time you start a fight, take it outside. And you!" She glared at the biker and threw him to the ground. He landed on his back and Tasha stomped her foot into his abdomen, crushing his sternum. "You EVER try that on me or any girl ever again, and I find out, I will geld you with broken glass and stuff a vodka bottle down your throat. Now GET OUT OF HERE!"
Tasha slammed her foot into his chest one more time before she let him go. The creep quickly got to his feet, slightly wincing from the pain, and signaled his gang to get out. After he left Tasha turned her attention back to Devin. He was badly bruised and he had a cut just above his right eyebrow. There was also some blood on the corner of his mouth.
"Dev are you okay?" Tasha asked as she rushed to his side. But to her surprise he brushed past her. Tasha tried to talk to him but he just kept a neutral stare on his face.
"Let's go." Those two monotone words caused a chill to run up Tasha's spin. She'd never seen Devin act like this before and it started to worry her.
She quietly followed him out to the car. The ride back to his place was long and silent. When they got to Devin's house Charles greeted them with a happy Thomas by his side. However, their moods changed as the couple walked through the door. In fact, they walked right passed their friends and out to the backyard. Charles knew this meant one thing: fight.
"Devin please, talk to me," Tasha begged. "What is the problem?"
"What's the problem? What's the problem?!" he yelled. "How about the fact you just embarrassed me back there for starters."
"What?"
"I was beating the hell out of that creep for the way he treated you and you just but in, making me look like some wuss who needs his girlfriend to fight for him.
He crossed his arms and turned away from her. "Thanks a lot babe."
Tasha looked at Devin in shock before her blood started to boil. Her eyes shut, her teeth ground together, and her hands balled into fists so tight that her nails were biting into her palms.
"Are you freaking kidding me right now! That's your problem? Devin, I've dealt with perverts like that since high school. If someone comes after me then I give 'em a warning, but when my friends are threatened then I won't hold back. For Pete's sake, I'm the only child of an overprotective father in the Marines who insisted that his little girl have the best self-defense training. Not to mention that he also specifically asked for the help of a CIA and FBI/professional assassin to train me. My first 'toy' was a BB gun, and for my twelfth birthday I got a Sawdust shotgun."
"I know all that!" Devin shouted.
"Then why are you being such a baby about all this? It's the twentieth century for crying out load." Tasha just couldn't understand what was the problem. Devin had seen her defend herself before. It was one of the things he liked about her. So why was it bothering him now? "So I beat up that jerk. What does it matter?"
He turned to her. The look on his face was a mixture of hurt and anger. "Because it makes me fell like I can't protect you."
"I don't need you to protect me!"
Everything went silent between the two. Tasha had meant to say she didn't need Devin fighting her battles for her, but all he had heard was that she didn't need him.
"Devin I—"
"No," he interrupted her. "No, I get it. You don't need me. That's just—that's just fine."
The words had been spoken and now they hung in the air. Tasha waited for Devin to say something but all she got was silence as he turned his back on her. Finally it just became too much.
"Screw this." Tasha turned and ran to the front of the house. She jumped in her jeep and took off down the highway. As she drove off the tears coursed down her face...
~Flashback~
"And I just drove until I found myself at your doorstep, thinking a quiet cabin was better than," Tasha said when her story was finished. "Looking back I should have said something better, but you know me. I speak my mind and don't take crap from anyone, not even from that damn idiot."
Catherine had listened while Tasha told her story. She felt bad that Devin and Tasha had a terrible fight, but from what she had heard, it sounded like one big misunderstanding. Catherine put her hand on Tasha's shoulder. "Tasha, perhaps it would be better if you just talked with Devin about this."
"After what I said?" Tasha interrupted, "No way Cathy, not this time. I'm the one who took off without trying to talk to him. This time… I-I just don't think I can face him." Tears pooled in Tasha's eyes and Catherine scooted closer, pulling the crying woman back into her arms. About ten minutes later Catherine persuaded Tasha to spend the night in the spare bedroom. Once she got Tasha settled Catherine joined Vincent in their room upstairs.
"I assume things did not go well?" he asked when Catherine closed the door behind her. He had already changed into his pajamas and was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for her.
"No," Catherine answered. "They had a fight and now it looks like neither is willing to see the other. I put her up in the guest room."
"I just don't see how things could have gone so wrong for them. I understand that as a new couple they would have their quarrels, but an argument of this extent? They seemed perfectly happy."
"If I recall we had our share of disagreements. You even tried to push me out of your life a few times." Vincent shrunk back at the memories. He remembered the guilt he felt when he had pushed her away, not to mention the crushing weight of Catherine's pain. Yet no matter how much he insisted she find a happier life with another, Catherine never gave up on their dream. Not like him.
Catherine saw the look in Vincent's eyes. She smiled and sat down next to him, taking his hands in hers.
"Vincent, I understand why you did what you did then," she assured him, "but that's in the past. Please don't dwell on it."
Vincent sighed. "I know that Catherine." Vincent took his arm and nestled it around her shoulders. Placing her hand over his arm Catherine leaned her head into the crook of his neck.
"I just hope, for their sake, Devin does not make my mistakes."
That night the two prayed for their friends, hoping that Devin and Tasha would find a way to undo the damage that had been done.
XXX
AN: Bar fight inspired by "The One After the Super Bowl," 'Friends' S2/E13 where Phoebe breaks up the fight between Rachel and Monica. I was watching it and thought that was so Tasha; I just had to use it.
