Tommy helped Tara to her feet and walked her down to the couch where she sat down next to him with his arm around her shoulder. She snuggled into his shoulder and held onto his opposite hand with a death grip. She hadn't made eye contact with either Jason or Kimberly since opening her eyes.
"Tara, I'm not angry." Jason wanted her to believe him.
Sniffling, Tara lifted her head. "You looked so angry when you were upstairs."
Her tears nearly broke her brother's heart. "I just worry about you, sissy. I don't want to see you get hurt."
"Tommy won't hurt me. I know that." Tara looked up at Tommy. "I t-t-trust him. I thought you did too."
"I trust Tommy. God knows, I've had him at my back more than once and I don't let anyone there unless I trust them." Jason smiled grimly at the man who'd been more than friend for so long.
"I understand, bro. Just make sure that you remember that I'm not just any guy."
"I will, man. I will."
Tara snuggled tighter into Tommy's shoulder and relaxed just a little.
Two weeks later, Jason was trying to convince Tara to join him and Kimberly in a trip to see their parents in Angel Grove.
"Jase, you know that Mom and Dad hate me. They don't want me around. And I don't really want to be around them either."
Tommy chose that moment to speak up. "Tara, I'll be just a few blocks over at my parents' house. If things go wrong, just call me and I'll come get you."
"Tommy, I just don't want to go. I want to stay here. I can do it. I can be by myself." Tara was starting to feel as if she was suffocating.
"We just worry about you. What about the guy who's stalking you? What if he comes after you while we're gone?" Kimberly was trying to be the diplomatic one.
"I can defend myself."
"Sissy, we don't doubt that. I just don't relish the thought of leaving you alone like that when he could attack you out of nowhere. This guy is a sick and twisted freak and I get absolutely terrified thinking about what he might do to you." Jason and Kimberly had never told Tara about what they had found in her apartment the day that Tara had run off and hidden at their house. Tommy and Jason had gone over there and cleaned things up after reporting to the police.
Tommy had agreed with Jason that telling her about what the freak had done in her room would not help matters any and so had kept his mouth shut.
"Tara, will you please just go with Jason and Kimberly? I promise you that you won't have to stay for long. Just have dinner with them and then Jason can bring you over to my parents' house. Okay?" Tommy hooked her chin and made her look at him. "I hate to worry and thinking about you here alone would have me worried the whole time we were gone."
Tara finally caved. She knew that she couldn't fight all three of them no matter how hard she tried. "I'll go. Just promise me that I can go to Tommy's shortly after dinner." She looked up at her brother from Tommy's arms.
"As soon as we finish if you want to." Jason would have promised his sister anything to make her smile. He reached out and brushed the hair back from her face.
Tara, Jason and Kimberly walked into the Scott household for Thanksgiving dinner less than a week later.
Abigail Scott hugged Jason and Kimberly. Then, she turned to her daughter and smiled. "Hello, Tara. How have you been?"
"I'm fine. Don't worry. I-I-I won't be here l-l-long. J-j-just for dinner. Then I-I-I need to g-g-go…."
"Do you have to keep talking?" Abigail asked with a sigh. "I hate listening to that stutter." She turned around and walked away from them. Tara bowed her head and Kimberly put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Tara. It's just until we finish eating. Then, you can go to Tommy's house."
Jason followed his mother into the kitchen. "You need to be a lot nicer to Tara. She's one of your children."
"Don't tell me how to be with my kids. You don't know what I've been through with her."
"Do you think I care right now, Mom? You keep treating her as if you wish she had never been born and I can make sure that you never see me again."
"Are you threatening me, Jason Lee Scott? Threatening your mother like that?"
Kimberly knew that Tara could hear some of the conversation going on in the kitchen. "Kimberly, t-t-tell Jason." She turned and ran out the door before Kimberly could stop her.
"Jason!" the brunette yelled before going out on the porch. She could only watch as Tara disappeared around the corner running for the park.