DAY OF RECKONING
CHAPTER 10
Since the source of Dara's illness had been discovered and her family now knew that it didn't pose a fatal threat to her life, everyone was able to enjoy the twins birthdays as well as Dara and Lucas's anniversary, although they had opted to celebrate the latter on the next weekend, agreeing to let all three children spend the night with Matt and Loris. Caleb and Trisha, as usual were out for the evening, while Lucilla had decided to take matt and Loris up on their invitation for her to spend the evening with them, having supper and watching movies.
Following the advice of both doctors Dara had taken her vitamins and iron pills faithfully and had, as predicted, felt less exhausted and was even able to now accomplish a few of the more simple tasks that she had before hand been unable to perform.
Lucas had surprised her by not only taking her to their favorite seafood restaurant, but had also given her a bracelet that contained five various stones flanked on either side by a diamond and linked together with gold leaves.
Dara had been surprised and exclaimed, "You've got to stop doing this, this is too extravagant."
Lucas had merely shrugged as he fastened the piece around her wrist and inquired, "Whom else should I buy things like this for? Besides, each stone represents each year that we've been married."
Dara smiled as she leaned across the table to place a kiss on his mouth, "Thank you, I love it."
Lucas smiled in return as he held up his wrist indicating the new wristwatch that she had given him for their anniversary. "You're more than welcome, and thank you for this, how did you know that I wanted this one?"
Dara smiled slyly as she pertly replied, "You're not the only one able to read minds after five years of marriage you know."
Lucas laughed at her statement, grateful to see that she was in such good spirits as compared to her condition just a couple of week's prior. Just then the waiter came over, holding a bottle of champagne. Lucas looked at him, puzzled. "We didn't order champagne, we didn't even order any wine, my wife is pregnant and doesn't drink alcohol."
The waiter nodded as he began to prepare to open the bottle, "I know Sheriff Buck, but that gentleman over at the bar sent it over, he said something about wishing you and your wife a happy anniversary."
Dara looked at him in panic as she whispered fearfully, "He couldn't have found us, could he?"
Lucas placed his hand over hers as he looked over his shoulder to find the person he already knew would be sitting at the bar Garrett Darvin. Lucas turned back to the waiter and stopped him from opening the bottle, "Just take it back and tell the gentleman thank you, but no thank you."
Looking in uncertainty the young man asked, "Are you sure?"
Lucas answered more forcefully than he had intended, "Just take the damn thing back and tell him that I nor my wife want it. If he doesn't understand it he can go to hell for all I care." Shrugging, the waiter did as directed.
Dara looked at her husband in uncertainty, "Should we leave?"
Lucas shook his head vehemently, "No, this is our favorite restaurant and it's our anniversary, I refuse to let that bastard spoil it for us."
Just then they heard an all too familiar voice taunting, "That wasn't very nice big brother, I was just congratulating you on your anniversary. What bad manners, what would our father say?"
Lucas glared at the man as he answered the challenge, "Do you really think that I particularly give a damn what that son of a bitch would say about anything? And as far as your intentions, so far you've sent my wife a tarantula for her birthday, tried to throw her in the path of a car and let a giant python loose in our home. So what was in the bottle, nitroglycerin?"
Garrett shrugged non-chalantly, "Now what makes you think that I'm the one responsible for the snake?"
Lucas narrowed his gaze at the man, "Call it instinct, now if you wouldn't mind it is our anniversary and we would like to celebrate it in peace."
Garrett smirked as he replied, "From what I understand my charming sister in law seems to require an awful lot of peace these days. Tell me, do you think they'll ever be able to find a cure for this fatigue syndrome?"
Dara looked at her husband in fear as he stated dangerously, "I don't know and don't care how you know but I suggest that you forget you know it and if you even so much as think about doing anything to her it will be your last thought."
Deciding to taunt Lucas further he addressed Dara as he asked without tact, "Tell me something Dara, did you acquire this by all of your exhausting activities in the bedroom?"
Dara gasped in shock and embarrassment at his statement as Lucas was up and out of his chair so fast that she wasn't sure he had even been sitting down. Before she could say anything Lucas had drawn back and punched the younger man in the mouth and was about to follow it up with a left hook when Dara managed to struggle from her chair and attempted to restrain him. She saw the look of opportunity on Garrett's face too late as she realized what he was about to do. She had grabbed her husband's arm to try and restrain him when Garrett drew his arm back and aimed as though to slap Lucas open handed, but instead of connecting with Lucas' face he caught Dara across her left cheek and knocked her against the wooden post used for decoration and support.
Lucas knew as well as Dara by the smirk on the younger man's face that this had been his intention from the beginning of the conversation.
Dara could see the anger and fury rising to the surface, suddenly she recalled something Lucas had said before, 'Buck men are driven by hatred and anger.' Realizing that this was what Garrett Darvin had been trying to accomplish she hurriedly regained her balance and rushed over to her husband who had begun systematically and thoroughly beating the other man as he swore,
"YOU SON OF A BITCH, NO ONE TOUCHES MY WIFE, NO ONE!"
Dara grabbed his arm and tried to restrain him as she stated, "Lucas, no stop it! Don't you understand that this is what he wants to make you lose control of yourself? Honey, please stop it, don't please." Dara wasn't sure that she had felt it, but when it happened again she knew what the pain in her abdomen was as it forced her to brace herself on a nearby table while she gripped her stomach in both hands.
Lucas realized dimly through the haze of hatred that she wasn't pleading with him to stop as he now had his hands wrapped around the other man's throat. Turning in the direction of the whimpering he dimly heard he realized that something was seriously wrong. When he saw the look of intense pain on his wife's face and noticed her hands gripping her stomach he realized that there was a problem with the baby. Abruptly releasing the other man, who was being assisted by the wait staff, he grabbed Dara before she could sag to the floor. Looking at her now bruised face he asked in fright, "Is it the baby?"
Dara felt another pain and realized that these pains were much different from the ones she had suffered during labor. Looking up with tears streaming down her face she stated in a frightened whisper, "I think I'm having a miscarriage."
Lucas bent down and swung her up in his arms as he threw over his shoulder to the manager, "Call the Fulton County Hospital, ask for Matt Crower, tell him I'm bringing my wife in, we think she's miscarrying. Then call the station and tell whoever is on duty that I said to get over here and arrest Garrett Darvin, NOW! Whatever the damages are, bill me for them." With that he rushed to the car and placed her inside.
An hour later Lucas was sitting outside of the exam room door, waiting for Crower to reappear after examining Dara. Finally, the door opened and Lucas was grateful to see him sigh in thankfulness.
"We caught it in time, she's fine now although I want her to stay in here a couple of days for observation."
Lucas looked at him in concern as he asked the question that he already knew the answer to, "What caused it?"
Matt shrugged, "My guess? I'd say stress and under the circumstance the force of the impact when he hit her could have triggered it. There's no clear answer, but I will tell you this, she has about nine weeks or so to go till she's due, with this scare now she'll be in extreme danger of either premature birth or even miscarriage so she's got to be very careful. Which means if I were you I'd take a restraining order out on your brother and keep him away from her, she may not be so lucky next time."
Lucas nodded in agreement of the statement, then motioning towards the door he asked, "Can I see her now?"
Matt nodded, "Yeah, just don't let her get upset, I gave her something for the pain so she'll probably be pretty groggy. And by the way, don't worry about the kids, I called Loris and she said she'd keep them entertained until Dara comes home."
Lucas thanked him as he pushed the door open.
Dara turned and looked at him drowsily and then smiled, "Hi."
Lucas sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand, "Hi your self. How are you feeling?"
Dara shrugged, "My cheek hurts but Matt said that he stopped me from losing the baby, so I feel better now, I don't know what he gave me but it's definitely something good." Lucas smiled at the return of her humor until she turned serious, "You have to stop letting him bait you like that, it's what he wants to make you lose control of your self. Somehow he's figured out how to accomplish what he wants if he can just push you too far."
Lucas nodded in agreement as he gently touched her bruised cheek, "I know and I should be more careful, but he knows that you're the right button to push where I'm concerned. Let's drop it for tonight so you can rest. Loris has the kids and I'm not going to leave you until Matt lets you out of here." Dara nodded her acceptance, feeling safe and secure as long as her husband was near. Lucas watched as the medicine took effect and she sank into sleep, still clutching his hand.
Matt let Dara go home the next evening but had insisted on keeping the kids another day to give her a chance to rest a little more as well as allowing the bruise marring her face to fade.
After Lucas had settled her upstairs in their bed with a strict order to rest, he left her in mama Lucy's more than capable hands as he went to the station.
Ben looked up in concern; he had gone by the hospital the night before to let Lucas know that they had Garrett Darvin in custody so he wasn't surprised by Lucas' appearance. "How's Dara doing?"
Lucas glanced at him as he reached for the ring of keys to the holding cells, "She's fine, she's at home in the bed resting and she didn't lose the baby. Is he downstairs in holding?"
Ben nodded as he gently suggested, "Lucas, maybe you shouldn't go down there. I mean don't you think that you're too personally involved?"
Lucas turned a cold malicious glare on Ben, making him regret having said anything at all as he carefully stated, "Ben, so far that bastard has sent my wife a tarantula for her birthday, tried to throw her in the path of an on coming car, release an eight foot python in our home, and to top it off, last night not only hit her, but almost caused her to lose our unborn child. No, I don't think I'm too 'personally' involved, I know I'm personally involved." With that he snatched the keys from the hook and headed in the direction of the holding cells.
Ben shook his head and just hoped that whatever Lucas had in mind that he would make it easy to clean up.
Garrett Darvin sat in his cell holding a cold cloth to his bruised face; it was painful but it had almost been worth it. If he could just find someway to keep that little bitch his brother was married to from interfering when he had Lucas just where he wanted him. Unfortunately he needed her presence to trigger his brother's temper to accomplish his goal. Looking up he saw Lucas watching him intently. Motioning towards his bruised face he stated sarcastically, "You do know that this could be considered excessive force, right?"
Lucas glared at him, "As opposed to knocking my wife against a wooden pillar? By the way, for your information she didn't lose the baby."
Garrett smirked, "You can imagine my happiness for you." Lucas shook his head as he tossed a paper thru the bars of the cell to land next to Garrett on the cot. Picking it up Garrett looking at it curiously as he inquired, "So what is this supposed to be?"
Lucas nodded towards the paper as he stated, "It's a restraining order to keep you away from my wife and kids."
Smirking at his older brother, Garrett taunted, "I guess you're losing your touch in your old age, resorting to a restraining order. I understand that you used to be much more resourceful and imaginative than that."
Lucas shook his head as he stated, "It's not going to work anymore, I know what you're up to, you may have read a few chapters but I own the whole book, remember?"
Garrett stood and leaned against the bars of the cell, "So what's your game plan now? You cant keep me in here indefinitely, and you cant let me out because you cant afford to have me anywhere near that pretty little wife of yours, despite the restraining order and especially in her condition, which I'm sure is quite precarious after last night's episode. So what are you going to do?"
Lucas smirked at him as he answered sarcastically, "You seem to be the intelligent one with all the answers and knowledge. You tell me." With that he walked off and left Garrett to ponder what Lucas did have in mind.
CHAPTER 10
Since the source of Dara's illness had been discovered and her family now knew that it didn't pose a fatal threat to her life, everyone was able to enjoy the twins birthdays as well as Dara and Lucas's anniversary, although they had opted to celebrate the latter on the next weekend, agreeing to let all three children spend the night with Matt and Loris. Caleb and Trisha, as usual were out for the evening, while Lucilla had decided to take matt and Loris up on their invitation for her to spend the evening with them, having supper and watching movies.
Following the advice of both doctors Dara had taken her vitamins and iron pills faithfully and had, as predicted, felt less exhausted and was even able to now accomplish a few of the more simple tasks that she had before hand been unable to perform.
Lucas had surprised her by not only taking her to their favorite seafood restaurant, but had also given her a bracelet that contained five various stones flanked on either side by a diamond and linked together with gold leaves.
Dara had been surprised and exclaimed, "You've got to stop doing this, this is too extravagant."
Lucas had merely shrugged as he fastened the piece around her wrist and inquired, "Whom else should I buy things like this for? Besides, each stone represents each year that we've been married."
Dara smiled as she leaned across the table to place a kiss on his mouth, "Thank you, I love it."
Lucas smiled in return as he held up his wrist indicating the new wristwatch that she had given him for their anniversary. "You're more than welcome, and thank you for this, how did you know that I wanted this one?"
Dara smiled slyly as she pertly replied, "You're not the only one able to read minds after five years of marriage you know."
Lucas laughed at her statement, grateful to see that she was in such good spirits as compared to her condition just a couple of week's prior. Just then the waiter came over, holding a bottle of champagne. Lucas looked at him, puzzled. "We didn't order champagne, we didn't even order any wine, my wife is pregnant and doesn't drink alcohol."
The waiter nodded as he began to prepare to open the bottle, "I know Sheriff Buck, but that gentleman over at the bar sent it over, he said something about wishing you and your wife a happy anniversary."
Dara looked at him in panic as she whispered fearfully, "He couldn't have found us, could he?"
Lucas placed his hand over hers as he looked over his shoulder to find the person he already knew would be sitting at the bar Garrett Darvin. Lucas turned back to the waiter and stopped him from opening the bottle, "Just take it back and tell the gentleman thank you, but no thank you."
Looking in uncertainty the young man asked, "Are you sure?"
Lucas answered more forcefully than he had intended, "Just take the damn thing back and tell him that I nor my wife want it. If he doesn't understand it he can go to hell for all I care." Shrugging, the waiter did as directed.
Dara looked at her husband in uncertainty, "Should we leave?"
Lucas shook his head vehemently, "No, this is our favorite restaurant and it's our anniversary, I refuse to let that bastard spoil it for us."
Just then they heard an all too familiar voice taunting, "That wasn't very nice big brother, I was just congratulating you on your anniversary. What bad manners, what would our father say?"
Lucas glared at the man as he answered the challenge, "Do you really think that I particularly give a damn what that son of a bitch would say about anything? And as far as your intentions, so far you've sent my wife a tarantula for her birthday, tried to throw her in the path of a car and let a giant python loose in our home. So what was in the bottle, nitroglycerin?"
Garrett shrugged non-chalantly, "Now what makes you think that I'm the one responsible for the snake?"
Lucas narrowed his gaze at the man, "Call it instinct, now if you wouldn't mind it is our anniversary and we would like to celebrate it in peace."
Garrett smirked as he replied, "From what I understand my charming sister in law seems to require an awful lot of peace these days. Tell me, do you think they'll ever be able to find a cure for this fatigue syndrome?"
Dara looked at her husband in fear as he stated dangerously, "I don't know and don't care how you know but I suggest that you forget you know it and if you even so much as think about doing anything to her it will be your last thought."
Deciding to taunt Lucas further he addressed Dara as he asked without tact, "Tell me something Dara, did you acquire this by all of your exhausting activities in the bedroom?"
Dara gasped in shock and embarrassment at his statement as Lucas was up and out of his chair so fast that she wasn't sure he had even been sitting down. Before she could say anything Lucas had drawn back and punched the younger man in the mouth and was about to follow it up with a left hook when Dara managed to struggle from her chair and attempted to restrain him. She saw the look of opportunity on Garrett's face too late as she realized what he was about to do. She had grabbed her husband's arm to try and restrain him when Garrett drew his arm back and aimed as though to slap Lucas open handed, but instead of connecting with Lucas' face he caught Dara across her left cheek and knocked her against the wooden post used for decoration and support.
Lucas knew as well as Dara by the smirk on the younger man's face that this had been his intention from the beginning of the conversation.
Dara could see the anger and fury rising to the surface, suddenly she recalled something Lucas had said before, 'Buck men are driven by hatred and anger.' Realizing that this was what Garrett Darvin had been trying to accomplish she hurriedly regained her balance and rushed over to her husband who had begun systematically and thoroughly beating the other man as he swore,
"YOU SON OF A BITCH, NO ONE TOUCHES MY WIFE, NO ONE!"
Dara grabbed his arm and tried to restrain him as she stated, "Lucas, no stop it! Don't you understand that this is what he wants to make you lose control of yourself? Honey, please stop it, don't please." Dara wasn't sure that she had felt it, but when it happened again she knew what the pain in her abdomen was as it forced her to brace herself on a nearby table while she gripped her stomach in both hands.
Lucas realized dimly through the haze of hatred that she wasn't pleading with him to stop as he now had his hands wrapped around the other man's throat. Turning in the direction of the whimpering he dimly heard he realized that something was seriously wrong. When he saw the look of intense pain on his wife's face and noticed her hands gripping her stomach he realized that there was a problem with the baby. Abruptly releasing the other man, who was being assisted by the wait staff, he grabbed Dara before she could sag to the floor. Looking at her now bruised face he asked in fright, "Is it the baby?"
Dara felt another pain and realized that these pains were much different from the ones she had suffered during labor. Looking up with tears streaming down her face she stated in a frightened whisper, "I think I'm having a miscarriage."
Lucas bent down and swung her up in his arms as he threw over his shoulder to the manager, "Call the Fulton County Hospital, ask for Matt Crower, tell him I'm bringing my wife in, we think she's miscarrying. Then call the station and tell whoever is on duty that I said to get over here and arrest Garrett Darvin, NOW! Whatever the damages are, bill me for them." With that he rushed to the car and placed her inside.
An hour later Lucas was sitting outside of the exam room door, waiting for Crower to reappear after examining Dara. Finally, the door opened and Lucas was grateful to see him sigh in thankfulness.
"We caught it in time, she's fine now although I want her to stay in here a couple of days for observation."
Lucas looked at him in concern as he asked the question that he already knew the answer to, "What caused it?"
Matt shrugged, "My guess? I'd say stress and under the circumstance the force of the impact when he hit her could have triggered it. There's no clear answer, but I will tell you this, she has about nine weeks or so to go till she's due, with this scare now she'll be in extreme danger of either premature birth or even miscarriage so she's got to be very careful. Which means if I were you I'd take a restraining order out on your brother and keep him away from her, she may not be so lucky next time."
Lucas nodded in agreement of the statement, then motioning towards the door he asked, "Can I see her now?"
Matt nodded, "Yeah, just don't let her get upset, I gave her something for the pain so she'll probably be pretty groggy. And by the way, don't worry about the kids, I called Loris and she said she'd keep them entertained until Dara comes home."
Lucas thanked him as he pushed the door open.
Dara turned and looked at him drowsily and then smiled, "Hi."
Lucas sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand, "Hi your self. How are you feeling?"
Dara shrugged, "My cheek hurts but Matt said that he stopped me from losing the baby, so I feel better now, I don't know what he gave me but it's definitely something good." Lucas smiled at the return of her humor until she turned serious, "You have to stop letting him bait you like that, it's what he wants to make you lose control of your self. Somehow he's figured out how to accomplish what he wants if he can just push you too far."
Lucas nodded in agreement as he gently touched her bruised cheek, "I know and I should be more careful, but he knows that you're the right button to push where I'm concerned. Let's drop it for tonight so you can rest. Loris has the kids and I'm not going to leave you until Matt lets you out of here." Dara nodded her acceptance, feeling safe and secure as long as her husband was near. Lucas watched as the medicine took effect and she sank into sleep, still clutching his hand.
Matt let Dara go home the next evening but had insisted on keeping the kids another day to give her a chance to rest a little more as well as allowing the bruise marring her face to fade.
After Lucas had settled her upstairs in their bed with a strict order to rest, he left her in mama Lucy's more than capable hands as he went to the station.
Ben looked up in concern; he had gone by the hospital the night before to let Lucas know that they had Garrett Darvin in custody so he wasn't surprised by Lucas' appearance. "How's Dara doing?"
Lucas glanced at him as he reached for the ring of keys to the holding cells, "She's fine, she's at home in the bed resting and she didn't lose the baby. Is he downstairs in holding?"
Ben nodded as he gently suggested, "Lucas, maybe you shouldn't go down there. I mean don't you think that you're too personally involved?"
Lucas turned a cold malicious glare on Ben, making him regret having said anything at all as he carefully stated, "Ben, so far that bastard has sent my wife a tarantula for her birthday, tried to throw her in the path of an on coming car, release an eight foot python in our home, and to top it off, last night not only hit her, but almost caused her to lose our unborn child. No, I don't think I'm too 'personally' involved, I know I'm personally involved." With that he snatched the keys from the hook and headed in the direction of the holding cells.
Ben shook his head and just hoped that whatever Lucas had in mind that he would make it easy to clean up.
Garrett Darvin sat in his cell holding a cold cloth to his bruised face; it was painful but it had almost been worth it. If he could just find someway to keep that little bitch his brother was married to from interfering when he had Lucas just where he wanted him. Unfortunately he needed her presence to trigger his brother's temper to accomplish his goal. Looking up he saw Lucas watching him intently. Motioning towards his bruised face he stated sarcastically, "You do know that this could be considered excessive force, right?"
Lucas glared at him, "As opposed to knocking my wife against a wooden pillar? By the way, for your information she didn't lose the baby."
Garrett smirked, "You can imagine my happiness for you." Lucas shook his head as he tossed a paper thru the bars of the cell to land next to Garrett on the cot. Picking it up Garrett looking at it curiously as he inquired, "So what is this supposed to be?"
Lucas nodded towards the paper as he stated, "It's a restraining order to keep you away from my wife and kids."
Smirking at his older brother, Garrett taunted, "I guess you're losing your touch in your old age, resorting to a restraining order. I understand that you used to be much more resourceful and imaginative than that."
Lucas shook his head as he stated, "It's not going to work anymore, I know what you're up to, you may have read a few chapters but I own the whole book, remember?"
Garrett stood and leaned against the bars of the cell, "So what's your game plan now? You cant keep me in here indefinitely, and you cant let me out because you cant afford to have me anywhere near that pretty little wife of yours, despite the restraining order and especially in her condition, which I'm sure is quite precarious after last night's episode. So what are you going to do?"
Lucas smirked at him as he answered sarcastically, "You seem to be the intelligent one with all the answers and knowledge. You tell me." With that he walked off and left Garrett to ponder what Lucas did have in mind.
