Lee turned into him and Tarin wrapped his arms around her gently, still careful of the bruises she carried.

”It’s a little about me…” Tarin said, knowing he was risking turning some of Lee’s ire on himself. ”And he’s not entirely wrong when he says this is dangerous. His assumption was valid with the information he has…and whether he knows it or not, I deserved that right hook.”

This was dangerous. He was inherently dangerous. Tarin knew it wasn’t really his fault, but it didn’t change the facts. He continued talking, hopefully before Lee could interrupt.

”Where he’s completely wrong is thinking that you aren’t constantly taking that into consideration.” Tarin said, ”I don’t think I’ve ever met a more thoughtful or capable person in my life…and I’m not just saying that.” .

Tarin sighed and squeezed Lee just a little tighter, ”If he can’t see that outside of his own personal vacuum and trust you, he doesn’t deserve you.”

Tarin paused for a moment though, hesitant to ask, ”It was bad though, wasn’t it?” he said softly, ”For him to dislike me so completely, it must have been bad.”

Lee pulled her head back to look at Tarin when he said it was about him, and raised her eyebrows as he continued speaking. After all of that, Tarin was agreeing with Robert? And agreeing that he deserved the punch to the face?

Lee was about to step back, out of Tarin’s arms, and retort when he started speaking again.

And that did make what he had previously said a little better because she was taking the potential danger into account constantly. As she had been since she had first learned about merging so many years ago. She’d been taking it into account since before she and the Tarin she had first met after he’d been in a pond in the park had started dating.

”You really think all that about me?” she asked as she looked up at him. Amazing, extraordinary, a superhero, AND the most thoughtful and capable person he’d ever met?? Surely she couldn’t be all of that.

But then Tarin asked about how bad it had been before. How bad Robert had seen it. How bad it must have been for Robert to hate him, a completely different person despite the same name.

Her eyes closed again as she laid her head against Tarin’s shoulder, nodding. ”The first was really bad,” Lee whispered. ”Both the merge and after. I ended up with a broken collar bone and a concussion. He panicked and left me at Robert’s before leaving town. I don’t remember much about that night, but apparently he said something like it was his fault because he couldn’t protect me, and Robert understood it as he did it, especially with how he left…”

Well. She wasn’t furious, but she’d been working on it there for a minute.

Tarin looked down at Lee when she asked if he really thought all of that about her and he actually did roll his eyes. ”Hasn’t anyone else ever said it before?” he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

And it had been bad. Really bad, Tarin decided as Lee, explained how Robert had come to have his scathing opinion of every Tarin Brooks in the universe.

And that was just the first time. Broken bones, a concussion. The other Tarin had dropped Lee off with Robert and had left. A more clear admission of guilt couldn’t have been made. At least the way Robert would have had to have seen it.

For the second time in this same scenario, Tarin found himself sympathizing with Lee’s brother.

”And that wasn’t the only time you got hurt?” .

God, this was a mess. ”You don’t have to tell me…I’m just trying to understand.”

Lee shook her head slowly as she looked up at Tarin. ”No, no one’s ever told me that before. And I know that this is New York, but even here there’s got to be at least a few people more thoughtful and capable than I am…”

”And that wasn’t the only time you got hurt? You don’t have to tell me…I’m just trying to understand.”

Lee shook her head. No, that wasn’t the only time she’d gotten hurt. And Tarin said that she didn’t have to tell him, but it was obviously still an issue so many years later, an issue that had already quite physically effected him. He deserved to know the details.

”No, it wasn’t the only time, but it was by far the worst,” Lee told Tarin quietly. ”Most of the time, it was just bruises, and not as bad as now.” Lee did not specify whether ‘now’ meant the bruises currently on her body, or from Tarin’s merge. Either way, it was true.

”Though, to be honest, Rupert really didn’t help matters there…”

No it hadn’t been the only time.

Man, did Tarin have questions. Had the other Tarin ever tried to get a better handle on that aspect of his power? Had he looked for anyone to help? Had he tried to find a way to stop the merges once they happened that didn’t involve Lee putting herself in danger every step of the way? Tarin wasn’t going to ask those though, It wasn’t his place and he knew enough. Enough to understand why Robert’s reactions were so…visceral.

It didn’t matter if the other times hadn’t been as bad as the first time or that they had been as bad now. Robert would have seen a pattern, and…it all made way too much sense.

Apparently the arch nemesis guy was involved too.

”Do I even want to know?” Tarin said. So far every time that name had come up, the conversation had ended with Tarin wondering how none of them had ended up in jail.

Lee took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Did Tarin want to know about Rupert, what Rupert had done to make things with Robert even worse. Another slow breath. He probably didn’t want to know. Lee herself had nearly gone to find Rupert to…

Well, she still didn’t know what she would have done if she had seen Rupert any time soon after finding out what he had told Robert.

But it would help explain things even further.

”Did I tell you that Rupert was a cop?” Lee started off asking. She knew that she’d told him about being at the camps, but she wasn’t sure about the cop thing; it hadn’t seemed as important when they’d talked about Rupert before.

”Well, this was shortly after the camps. We weren’t together, I’d gone to Toronto and was staying with Rachel till I could get back on my feet. Well, she dragged me back here for Fashion Week. And we…came across him one night. The next day, Rupert stopped by the apartment and discovered that he was merged. But other than knowing I had been with Rachel, he had no way of getting a hold of me because I didn’t have a cell phone.

“But Robert’s number was still on the fridge, so Rupert called and,” Lee paused and took another deep breath. ”And as a cop, insinuated everything that Robert thought.”

Oh, yep, there it was. The abuse of power, the absolutely wild story. It all somehow made sense when that man was involved.

”So a cop called Robert, confirming his worst fears. I’m guessing that never got cleared up in any official capacity either, did it?”

Leaning back a bit more so he was almost sitting on the edge of the table, Tarin sighed.

”Well, at least I get it now.” he said, just a little bit miserably, ”I’m guessing Robert wasn’t all that interested in hearing things from your Tarin’s point of view.” . If this Tarin’s still-throbbing face was any indication, he would have guessed no.

”I thought we had,” Lee said slowly as she tried to think back. But she honestly wasn’t sure. So much had been going on at the time, between the merge, and the nightmares, then deciding to stay in New York…

Had Rupert called Robert back to say that everything was fine? Rachel had heard everything that Robert thought and still believed what Lee said.

Shit.

”He wasn’t, not at all,” Lee said, shaking her head. ”I had thought that I had finally gotten through to him, though Robert was a bit of an ass again around the divorce, but obviously I hadn’t at all.”

Then Lee pulled back and looked up at Tarin again, at the redness on his cheek. ”You want some ice for that?”

”Well, all things considered, I’m probably lucky he only hit me once.” Tarin said with a sigh.

”I get why things are so complicated. If Robert was this mad thinking Tarin was just staying…

”I can make myself scarce when they get home”

Lee looked up at him and asked if he wanted any ice for his face and Tarin shrugged, looking down with a grim little smile ”I’ve been hit harder.” he said, not implying at all that Lee’s big brother had a weak arm.

Lee sighed as well. She supposed, spelling all that out to Tarin at one time, it did make sense that Robert would be that mad if he hadn't believed a thing she had said.

She just couldn't believe that all these years, everything she had said, that he just did not believe her.

”I can make myself scarce when they get home”

Lee shook her head. ”No need,” Lee told him. ”Robert won’t be coming in. Just…stay out of view of the door. I don’t want anything to happen with Kevin around.”

Did that sound like a reason for Tarin to make himself scarce? Maybe it would normally, but to be honest, it could happen just as easily if Tarin wasn’t there, because the ‘something’ Lee was talking about was what would happen to Robert if he tried to set foot in the apartment.

But Tarin said he didn’t want ice. Because he’d been hit harder before. Lee gave him a sad smile. ”Just because you’ve had worse…” she said softly. Then Lee stretched up to give him a kiss. ”But, what should we do to start our day?”

Tarin just nodded when Lee suggested that he just stay out of the way of the door when Robert brought Kevin home. Not a problem. They’d managed to keep him from noticing there had been a physical altercation. How hard could it be to simply stay away from the door?

The look in Lee’s eye when she said it told Tarin that it was gonna be a short goodbye. That was fine with him though, Robert was going to be a long-term problem that needed to be solved. Hopefully amicably.

That sad little smile that Lee gave him told Tarin she hadn’t picked up on his jab at her brother and when Lee stretched up to give him a kiss, he happily obliged. ”Well, I was going to go for a run and then get ready…but then schedules got accelerated and you’re still in pajamas” . It wasn’t like they could go out on a date or anything, but they could still go do something, they just hadn’t really managed to plan anything out before Robert had arrived and ruined the morning.

”Do you have any ideas?”

As Lee thought for a couple moments, her lip found its way between her teeth. ”Well, if you wouldn’t mind the company, I could always join you for the run,” she said ”Then we could always stop to grab something for lunch and come back to enjoy our afternoon alone.”

Then Lee grinned playfully, stretching up to kiss him again. ”If we can’t find anything else more…engaging to do, didn’t you say there’s always baseball on?”

”I’d love the company if you’re up for it.” Tarin said, Lee had proven to be an excellent running partner and and the idea was a good one.

So was the kiss and the idea about baseball.

”Throw in a ball cap and you’ve got a deal…But if you don’t stop biting your lip like that we aren’t going to make it out of the apartment.” .

Surely there was time for one more kiss.

Lee nodded when Tarin said he’d love the company if she was up for a run. She should be able to manage a normal lengthed run, especially since she still couldn’t quite control her siphoning when she was mad, and she had been mad[/b] earlier.

”Throw in a ball cap and you’ve got a deal…But if you don’t stop biting your lip like that we aren’t going to make it out of the apartment.”

”Well, I guess that’s out, then,” Lee replied with a shrug. Baseball wasn’t what she’d been hinting at, anyway. Though, to simply be able to be together however they wanted here in the apartment would be great, even if they did just end up watching baseball. ”I don’t have any ball caps.

“But, why is biting my lip a problem?” Lee asked innocently.

”I guess we’ll just have to find something else to do then…” Tarin said, a slow grin spreading across his face. Honestly, something else was what he’d had in mind either way, but no matter.

As for Lee’s other question, ”Because it’s hot.” he said simply and straightforwardly, ”And it makes me want to do things that are not conducive to leaving anywhere in any reasonable amount of time.” .

Leaning down to plant one more quick kiss on Lee’s forehead, Tarin pulled his arms from around her and planted them on the table, ”So go change, we’ll go for a run, grab some lunch, and we can talk about it more later.” .