It took him a second to fully take in the scene. Darby strapped to a chair. Long slashes down the length of Darby's arms, scalpel in her hands. Stella sitting directly across from him, calmly watching him bleed to death. Bullets in both his knees. How long had this been going on for?
"Holy shit" he said under his breath.
Jax walked over to him.
"I've tried talking to her. She's zoned out, like she can't even hear me"
"That's surprising since you two are so close else days" Tig said bitterly not taking his eyes off Stella, she had no idea he was even there. Last time he had seen her like that was when Kozik died.
"Can we just drop that for now? If we don't do something, she is going to kill him and she is going to go to prison" Jax told him
"No she's not. Even if she kills him, I'd cover it up because that's the difference between you and me"
Tig stepped away and moved closer to her.
"Princess?" he said softly "Whatcha doin'?"
Stella finally looked away from and casually answered as if she said 'Washing the dishes'
"Watching him bleed to death"
Her eyes flickered back to Darby before running the scalpel from Darby wrist slowly down has hand and to the tip of his index finger. The cabin filled with the sound of Darby screaming in pain. Tig looked on fearful, scared even.
"Why don't you just shot him?"
"Too quick. Not painfully enough, he wouldn't suffer"
Tig frowned before walking over and stood behind her before taking a deep breath, he truly didn't know what to do. He was at a loss.
"Baby, this isn't you"
"This isn't your Princess?" she asked with a chuckle. Tig couldn't argue with that, he had done worse; he had taught her everything she knew.
"Yes, this is my princess but this isn't Kozik's wife" She inhaled, like someone had kicked her in the stomach. "This isn't the woman he loved, the woman that made him better than he ever thought possible. Like your Mama did for me. Like you did for me. You're going to let Darby take that away?"
"He shot me, he used the love of my life to try and kill my family. He ripped my heart out of my chest, Alex"
"Baby, I know that but were going to make him answer for that. He not going to walk out of here"
"Then let me do it"
"No"
"Why not!" she yelled. Stella got up from the chair and pulled her gun out of her hand bag. She walked over to Darby and aimed it at his head "I need to do this. I have to do this. Its the only way I'm going to get better! It the only way I can move on"
She felt his arm wrap around her stomach and felt him pull her in tight "He wouldn't want you to do this. You know, Kozik wouldn't want you to do this, all those dreams telling you not to do this. Don't you remember your nightmares for the past two years, the sleepless nights. That wasn't just because you took Kozik's life; it was because you took a life." He wrapped his hand around her hand and the gun "You do this, it will change you forever, and it will haunt you forever. You'll lose that sweetness that makes you my princess and I will give anything for that not to happen. Let me do it"
Stella finally looked over at him and it was like she was a little girl again. Her big green eye grew in size
"You promise?" she whispered
"Yeah, I promise Baby" he whispered back "Give me the gun"
She gently took her hand out from under his as his grip around her tightened. She turned around and hugged him as if he was the only thing saving her from drowning.
"I just wanted it to stop"
"I'm going to make it stop, baby" he kissed her on the forehand as she closed her eyes "Wait for me outside. I'll only be a minute, Okay?"
Stella nodded her head, let go, took her hand bag and walked outside. The breeze hit her like a freight train, blowing her hair back over her shoulders taking all the tension and pain she had been holding away with it . She slowly walked over to Tara's car slid up onto the hood and waited. Suddenly a gunshot echoed out of the cabin and into the wood. She jumped and gasped because it seemed to come out of nowhere, even though she knew it was coming. She watched Jax, Tig and Bobby walk out of the cabin. Tig handed Bobby the gun and walked over to her.
"Are we done now? Can I have my girl back now?"
"Your girl never went anywhere. I've always been right here; it's been you that went away"
He took her ankle and gently pulled down the hood as she let playful sequel.
"You've been miles away for months and you know that" She looked down and nodded her head "Come here"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, not really wanting to let him go, Stella felt safe there, in his arm, like the world couldn't touch her. He hopped up on the hood next to her
"So a scalpel?"
"Tara wouldn't give me any acid"
"Acid? Shit you are mine aren't you"
"A lot can be said for learnt behavior"
He pulled back and looked at her, study her. Tig wonder what she would have been like if she never came back to Charming when her grandmother took her away. What she could have been? What she would be like?
"You have an okay job with you didn't I? You could have been anything and had a safe life, been a lady"
"I am a lady"
"No I mean been scared shitless of guns and not had a clue how to use a knife. Be a little girl played with dolls"
"I hate dolls" she interrupted
"That only because I hate dolls"
"No it's not. That's because dolls are creepy" they both chuckled
"Listen to me, Alex. I love my life. I love the life that you gave me. I love that I know about guns and I know how to protect myself. I love that I am the type of girl that can change not only a tire but also carburetor and a fan belt and probably an engine, if I had too. Yes, the past few years have been hell but" she stopped and took a deep breath "I would have rather have loved him for the short amount of time that we had, then never had met him at all. Yes I've been stuck for a long time without him but that has been of my own making, that's been my whole fault. Nothing to do with you"
"You lost the love of your life"
"Koz wasn't the only love of my life. I've got you. You're my family and I love you. Even though I have a funny way of showing it some days"
"Where are you next?" he asked quietly. Knowing that it had been far too long since his little gypsy had set foot on foreign soil.
"You getting sick of me already?"
"Never"
"I was actually thinking of hanging up my suitcase for good. I mean no matter where I go and how long I go for. I always come back here to charming. Ever since I was a kid. I wouldn't want to be anywhere and I have seen everywhere else" she smiled as he took that all in and a smiled danced on his face "Although I may take a small trip to Russia when I'm all better and what not"
"Small trip?"
"Couple of weeks"
Tig nodded his head and gently pulled her off the car and on to her feet. " Come on, lets get out of here. Ladies first"
She follow the three of them home and they told no one what happened, only a handful of people knew and that was the way that her scarecrow wanted to keep it. To keep her safe.
