Chapter Ten: Secret Dreams
OR

Confessions

TARA'S POV

I'm sitting in the living room of the penthouse, waiting patiently for Raven and Kane to return. Mick is in the kitchen making hot chocolate while Daffney is still snoozing away in the bedroom with Cam. He's restless, I can tell by the way his shoulders are tight, and the way he holds himself. This is troubling for me as I love him very much, and its unsettling when he's upset.

"Mick," I say. His head jerks slightly to the side, as if to idicate he's listening, but I know its because I startled him. He turns completely to look at me and cocks his head, a dazed look in his eyes. "Are you alright, love?"

"Children."

I look at him puzzled and he comes to sit next to me. "What?"

"I want to have children. But I just realised something."

"And what's that?"

"I don't know you."

I blink. Doesn't... know me? What? How...? How is that possible that he doesn't know me? We've been together for three years, we're fucking engaged for crying out loud! There isn't anything he doesn't know about me and I him. What the actual fuck?!

"What do you mean?" I ask rationally, keeping my voice as calm as possible. He stares at me.

"The ammount of times we've changed our names to hide, I realised that you never did tell me your real name."

I blush. He's right; I never did tell him my name. I never told anyone, the only ones who know are my family, my sisters and my Dad. Hell, I've changed my name that many times I don't even think I know my own name now. That's a...weird... revelation to be having in this day and age, especially considering our jobs almost over and we're getting married soon. If we get out of this alive I might actually have to legally change my name to Tara, or Victoria.

"How did you figure my name isn't Tara?" I ask, my voice seductive and laced with temptation. I lean back and look at him over my thick, hooded eyelids. I smirk cutely and he raises an eyebrow. running a hand through his hair and leaning back in the seat, he returns my grin.

"I've known Kane for years, Tar, and whenever he refers to you when I speak with him alone, he refers to you as 'the Waitress formerly known as Tara', indicating to me that isn't your real name." He smiles as I frown. "Slap me if I'm wrong."

I want to slap him but he's telling the truth. My real name isn't Tara, nor is it Victoria. They're names I chose for myself after my mother got out on parole; she murdered my older brother because she didn't like the woman he married, Amelia. I chose Tara because its inconspicuous, she doesn't know it. That and I find it really pretty.

He grins at my silence and takes my hand. "If we're going to be husband and wife, I need to know everything about you, the good, the bad, and the ugly."

I bite my lip and he stares at me. I shake my head; I'd prefer no one knew. No one at all. Not even him.

He gets up and walks back to the kitchen, showing me he's mad at me. I frown and hang my head, That did not go according to plan.

But, when does anything ever?

~X~

MANKIND'S POV

Having children with Tara right now seems like a really bad idea. Don't get me worng, I love her, I love her very much, but this name thing is really starting to get on my nerves. For example, Kane's real, real name is Glenn Thomas Jacob Calaway, but he dropped the name Calaway, and changed his last name to Jacobs in favor of hiding from his brother and starting again. My real name is Michael James Foley, but I go by Mick because its easier to say, and easier to remember. Tara didn't even tell me her last name for crying out loud. I would like to know her maiden name if she's going to be my wife.

I wander into Cam and Daffney's room, where Daffney is fast asleep. Heh, there's another name that has pissed me off to no end; Daffney. The way she spells it, and the way she introduces herself. 'Daffney, just Daffney.' Is Daffney her real name? I don't know. Does she have a last name? I don't know. I'd like to know, but it's not really my place to ask.

I lean against the doorway and watch baby Cam sleep. He's really a cute kid. With his red hair, freckles and toothy grin, he's an incredibly cute kid. I'd adopt him, if he wasn't afraid of me majority of the time. I think it's my hair; its curly and boofy and... blegh. I hate my hair. I hate how I look, but what can I do? I'm missing two and a half (yes you read that right; a half) teeth and part of my right ear, making me kind of hideous. Tara doesn't seem to mind but... hmm. Oh well, there's not a lot I can do about that.

Cam's name doesn't really bug me, and neither does Raven's. Before Cam was adopted by Kane and Raven, his name was Cameron David Funk, as it said on his birth certificate (which we turned into ash) but after he became Cameron Anthony Jacobs-Levy (because Kane demands he go first-narcissist). Raven's real name is Scott Anthony Levy, and he hasn't changed it, to my knowledge. I think he had a brief, if not humurous, run as Scotty Flamingo but we laughed him out of it.

Cam turns over in his sleep and murmurs, holding his teddy closer to him. I go over and procede to tuck him in properly.

"Foley..."

I turn and spy Daffney sitting up, her hair ruffled and crazy, just like her. She has red rings around her eyes and bruising, meaning she's been tossing and turning all night. Poor thing. And NO before you ask, I do not have romantic feelings for Daffney anymore. That happened a long time ago.

"Hey, kiddo," I say quietly, trying not to wake Cam. I sit down next to her on the bed. She smiles and rubs my shoulder.

"Why so glum, chum?" she says, keeping her voice low. I smile.

"I don't know Tara's real name."

She raises an eyebrow at me and smirks. "So?"

"It's weird for me, she's gonna be my wife you know."

"I'm aware. Put it this way, Mickles, you don't know my real name either."

I smirk and laugh a little, rubbing her head. "That's true."

"And we're friends, right?"

"Yep."

"So what's the problem with not knowing Tara's name? I like the name Tara, it suits her, and I think you don't need to know someone's name to love them."

I look at her. How the fuck did she become so philosophical?

As if to answer my un-asked question, she grins and pokes me. "I'm smarter then you think, Mickles."

I grin and pull her in for a hug. "I love ya, kid."

"I know." She pulls away and reaches up to rub under my eye, where a bit of make-up from her eyes has smudged. "Tara will tell you when she's ready. Just give her time."

"Lisa."

We both look up to see Tara standing in the doorway, biting her lip.

"What?" I say to her, raising an eyebrow. Daffney giggles and gets up out of her bed, heading out the door.

"Lisa. My name. It's Lisa. Lisa Marie Varon." She stares at me as if I'm going to yell at her, but I stand and pull her into my arms. I giggles softly and cuddles into my, her arms curling tight around my waist. I grin and pat her hair, holding her tight. She still smells of Kiwi and Lime, the beautiful woman.

"I love you, Lisa Marie Varon, and I always will."

"I love you more, Michael James Foley, to eternity and back," she says.

"That's freaking adorable, that is."

We oth turn and find Raven and Kane staring at us from the living room. Kane grins at me and grabs Raven's shoulder. Raven flinches away and smiles at us. Kane frowns and rolls his eyes, choosing wisely to bite his tongue. He meanders off to their bedroom while Raven goes and sits down with Daffney. I look down at my fiance.

"Well that was awkward," I say. She giggles.

I love this woman.