"Man, what the fuck was that about?" Franklin asked as the rest of them finished their desserts. "I would have never thought she would go for a guy like Trevor."

Michael stopped himself several times from speaking, his mouth hanging open several times before finally letting out a deep, slow breath.

"As long as he treats her right," he said in a low voice.

"Treat her right?" Franklin asked. "This is T we're talking about. Are you sure he could treat anyone right?"

"Hey, regardless of what I've ever been through with him, I will say this – Trevor is loyal," Michael defended. "He gave me shit over what I did to him, but he had every right to."

"What, uh, what went on between the two friends?" Yusuf asked.

Michael shook his head, draining the last of his wine. "That's a story that I'll have to tell you over a few beers. But I'll tell you this, as well... Karen is safe with Trevor. He would put his life on the line for her, and if he really loves her, he'll protect her no matter what."

The men fell into a silence, neither Franklin or Michael wanting to admit what this could mean for their crew. They needed to be functional amongst themselves, and they weren't so sure that this relationship between Trevor and Karen would be able to co-exist during jobs.

"Well," Amanda's light voice said with a smile. "I think it's cute."

"""""

"Where are we going?"

It was the fourth question Karen had asked him as they cruised down the highway in a quietness that was unbearable to her. She had a feeling that he wasn't up for answering anything, but she didn't want him to think that she was completely shut off from him. The things he said weren't any more predictable than the things that he did. Karen needed him to know she was open to talking... when he was ready, of course. From an outside perspective, it very well may have looked as though she was ashamed of their actions. But the truth was, Karen was unsure of herself. There were many things about her that she knew were not so desirable, and having been treated like yesterday's garbage by someone she thought loved her... It wasn't so easy to trust herself with these matters.

"They never asked," she finally said after a few more minutes of agonizing silence. "If anything was going on, I mean. No one did. I'm pretty sure that blindsided them." She continued to look forward as she talked, knowing that she most likely wouldn't get a word out of him. "If anyone had asked, I would have told them. I don't mind the idea of being with you. I just... never thought anyone would care." Looking down at her fingernails, she scoffed. "My ex wasn't kind to me, so after him, I wasn't going to bother anymore."

The city had subtly turned into the rural side of town, with nothing but a few scarce buildings and dirt trails. She stopped herself from talking more as Trevor turned off onto one of those dirt roads. The bumpy ride just as unsettling as this non-talkative side of Trevor. In fact, if she didn't trust Trevor so much, the idea of him taking her to an excluded area and offing her was very real. But she knew how he worked. She knew the emotions raging through him.

"I know you're upset, Trevor," she started, but was cut off at the sound of his gravely voice.

"Upset?" he repeated back to her with a sarcastic chuckle. The truck was slowly rolling to a stop near the Alamo Sea. "I am far beyond upset." He turned to her in the parked truck. "Do you know how it makes me feel to find out that you're on birth control? And that you didn't even bother telling me?"

"What?"

"You know, I had been trying to figure out why you weren't coming up to me and telling me that you had a little Trevor-bun in your oven. But now!" He opened his car door, stepping out and walking a few yards away. "Now, I know!"

"A baby, Trevor? You want a baby?" She followed suit, pacing her way to him. "Are you insane?"

"Oh, honey, you know I am."

"This isn't a joke!" she snapped. "Did you think we'd sleep together once and instantly have a family?"

"No," he sang out. "But I didn't know I was even being denied the opportunity!"

"Oh, fuck off with it," she muttered, waving her hand to him. "You know what, no, it's not okay. I didn't know that I had to report to you about what I do with my body! It was before I even knew you!"

"Yes, yes," he said, talking over her. "You do have to tell me."

"Before I even came to this side of the country!"

"You have to tell me because you're mine!" he shouted. "You're fucking mine, and I want everyone to know!"

She looked down at the sandy ground, a laugh crossing her lips. "I thought that that was just something you said during sex. To feel better about yourself."

"Why would I need to feel better about myself when I was already in you?"

Karen noticed how serious his face was and laughed even more. "I can't believe we're even having this discussion."

"Why not?" he asked, walking over to her with his arms and hands stretched out. "Why the fuck not, Karen? You too good to have one of my offspring? Hmm? Don't want to taint yourself with my DNA? Is that what it is?"

"Fucking goodness," she laughed out. "You are so full of it."

"Oh I'm full of it? I'm full of it? You're the one who lied to me about something that means so much, and I'm the one who's full of it?"

"I didn't lie to you."

He scoffed. "You didn't tell me the fucking truth. What's the fucking difference!"

"The difference is you're not my fucking husband! I don't have to report to you!" She dared to step up to him, close to his face. "That's the fucking difference! Believe me, I never thought I'd actually fall for you, but I'm not going to stand here and fucking argue with you about this! That's not how this works!"

"And how does this work?" he asked her sarcastically. "Hmm? Do we ignore each other now? Or do we walk hand in hand, perhaps skipping down the desolate streets of life?"

"Stop being so fucking dramatic, Trevor." Without another thought, she hopped back into his truck. "Take me home. It's getting cold."

"""""

"I said home, Trevor," Karen said as they pulled up at his trailer.

"I don't care what you said. You're spending the night here with me."

"Why?"

He opened his door, slamming it shut before walking over to her side. "Because I said so."

Opening the door for her, he waved his hand to his trailer with a flourish. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Why do you want me to spend the night with you? So you can make more decisions about my life without me even knowing?"

"Get out of the truck, Karen." He was willing to wait a few minutes for her to come to her senses, but when she crossed her arms, he knew she was being too stubborn for her own good. "You lied to me – "

"I didn't lie," she defended.

" – and you still didn't want to tell anyone what we've been doing. So just make it easy on yourself and get out of the truck."

"And why would I want to tell everyone my business? When have you ever known me to go on and on about what I do or who I'm with?"

"You're not going to be with anyone besides me from now on," he said, taking a hold of her arm. "So you can tell your friend Amir that his little marriage between you and Mr. Franklin is nothing but a dream. Now, come on."

He didn't have to pull on her arm very hard. She huffed out a breath and slid out from the seat, Trevor placing her in front of him as they entered his home.

"I didn't know he was going to say that," she admitted. "It was just as embarrassing to me as it was surprising for you to hear." Sitting down on the couch, she pulled off her heels. "I'm sure it surprised Frankie too."

Trevor leaned against the kitchen counter in front of the sink. He held a bottle of beer in his hand, and his eyes concentrated on her as if he were thinking hard about what to say.

"I'm sorry," Karen said with a sigh, "if you think I was lying to you about it. I wasn't even thinking of it. It's something that I've been taking since I was a teenager."

That got Trevor's brows raising.

"You've been... avoiding pregnancies since you were a teenager?" he asked in that flat tone of his that made Karen cringe.

"No. I have female issues. Taking birth control helps regulate my period. It's a very common thing."

"Oh, I see." He nodded his head, taking another swig of his beer. "That still doesn't explain why a man that you claim is just your best friend knows about you taking something so personal. Did he ever get the chance to procreate with you?"

Karen rolled her head, feeling how tense her neck was. "I've never had any type of romantic or sexual relationship with Yusuf. So get that out of your head right now." Looking down at her hands, she took another deep breath. "I couldn't afford it when I was first told it would help with my female issues. My mother worked twelve hour days sometimes, but the cost of living in Liberty City is so high and taking care of two kids, that between her and my stepfather, it was just making ends meet."

Trevor stood there, listening carefully to what she had to say. It bothered him greatly that another man had helped her with something such as this. He desired to be the only man she came to.

"So, one day, when I was sixteen, Yusuf asked me to come over. He wanted to talk to me about something. He had never really sounded so serious, so I thought it was something bad. But when I went over, he brought up the fact that my mom had told his mom that we couldn't afford the pills. And my condition was bad. I mean, I couldn't even go to school some days. It was just nonstop."

"Then you accepted his offer to buy you birth control?"

"No actually," she said, standing so she could start pulling off her clothes. "I told him I didn't want him paying for anything of mine, but when he told me how upset momma was, I gave in. He bothered me about it for weeks before then."

"If you were to... stop using the birth control, would your condition return?"

Shaking her head, she gave him a small smile. "I don't know. I imagine it would. Another reason why I refused payment help was because I didn't want the chemicals in my body. It can't be good to take something that constantly tricks your body into thinking that you are pregnant all the time."

He watched her fold her clothes and place them on the couch. She looked sad, defeated almost. Perhaps this was something she didn't want to think about, and that made him feel bad for reacting to it the way he did. Before he could apologize to her, she grabbed his hand, looking at his fingers as she gently rubbed them.

"Can we just go to bed, please? I'm sure the barrage of questions will come from the guys tomorrow and I want to be rested enough to deal with it."

Trevor's face softened at her request. He quickly realized that she opened up to him again and it made his heart beat with a happiness that was usually unknown to him. A few questions still nagged at him, however, and he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to ask.

"Do you still take the birth control?"

"Take it? No. Have it? Yes." At his confused stare, she lifted her arm, showing him a tiny scar. "They have these rods that they implant into your arm. It's like a piercing gun and it shoots the rod into your flesh. They tell you to keep it bandaged for a few days as it heals and then it's good for three to five years."

"How long have you had that one?"

"Just about four years. I had it put in not long before I made the drive here. It took me a few months to get used to it, but it seems to work as it should."

"And if you needed to replace it?"

"I don't have insurance, so I would have to pay for it out of pocket," she informed him.

She could see his mind still working, reeling from the information he had gained during the night. He had opened his mouth several times, seemingly tossing out each question or comment right before it left his lips. Karen knew that he wanted to be extra careful in the things he said to her. He was still upset but he didn't want to hurt her with harsh words that would be impossible to take away.

"I – "

Placing her thumb over his lips, she hushed him, barely brushing her own lips over his. "Sleep now," she softly said. "I promise I'll answer any other questions you have tomorrow."

Trevor never gave in for anyone. He never quit pursuing the answers he wanted. But for Karen, the sad look in her eyes made him back down. The animal in him sat back on its haunches, and for once, he relented in being so tough. His hand slid over her back, pulling her close to him. That sweet scent of her so addicting, and he inhaled deeply, wanting to draw out as much as he could from her.

"Fine," he exhaled out. "Tonight, you get what you want. Even if you did piss me off and make me just want to strangle you."

She smiled against his chest. "I wouldn't put it past you to choke me for something."

Trevor felt his cock twitch at the thought. He had already seen how beautiful she looked with his hand wrapped around her neck. The bronze-tone skin of hers reddening slightly under his fingers. The way her mouth parted in a gasp as he worked her body. And what captured him even more were those deep brown eyes of hers. They made him realize why he loved her, why he felt like he had a home with her.

She had no fear in him, and those eyes told him that. They showed no bit of fear towards him, and despite what he had found out today, they showed him no doubt. He trusted her words when she told him that she didn't care who knew they were together. However, the emotional turmoil in him churned when he thought that she wanted to willingly deny him a child. Feeling her hands rubbing over his back, he looked down at her, lips pouting and eyes staring into his, he felt like giving her everything she dreamed of.