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”Much Tarin agreed with a smile as Lee pointed out that she was getting better at asking for help. He had been half teasing anyway, he thought as Lee took his hand and held it.

Rachel was talking again and Tarin had to laugh and shake his head when she pointed out that she’d been right about them. That fact still seemed to aggravate Lee and she made sure to point out to Rachel that all her past meddling had been wrong.

Rachel just shrugged though and continued to smile a highly self satisfied smile as Lee assured her sister that she was fine and that even if she wasn’t, Tarin would make sure she was taken care of.

Lee agreed that she’d see Rachel soon and Tarin had to be glad that things seemed to have worked out the way that Lee wanted them to. Sure, Robert’s reaction could have been better, but he was who he was and more progress had been made.

As Rachel made her way towards the doors to the gym, Tarin looked down at Lee, ”You were really good today.” he said, ”Every time I’d think maybe Tony was going to get the upper hand, you’d just reassert yourself. Only a couple of scary moments too…” That first hard toss, the punch that Lee had barely dodged, the fall at the end when she’d had the breath knocked out of her. Still, Lee had been nothing short of incredibly impressive.

” You need to cool down, or are you about ready to go too?”

Her knuckles were sore…

Tarin got Lee’s glove off and dropped it to the floor while he looked at the knuckles on her hand. Nothing looked outwardly wrong, Lee had been opening and closing her hand, maybe she was just bruised?

”I guess it’s fine? Do you want to get it checked out?”

Tarin shrugged, but kept Lee’s hand in his as she agreed that it was time to be done.

Rachel and Robert were still standing close by and while they still seemed stunned they weren’t just openly staring anymore.

”Can we all please agree that no further demonstrations are necessary?” Tarin said, looking at Rachel and then Robert. ”Ever.” Of course Lee would continue to spar and train as much as she wanted, but Tarin still had a feeling she’d been pushing herself harder than necessary today to prove a point and that’s how people got hurt.

Rachel just nodded. Robert frowned for a moment, shaking his head.

”No, I think that’s more than enough.” Robert said, ”Let me know when Kevin is back in town and has time.”

He turned like he was going to leave and Tarin sighed a little bit at how utterly disappointing Robert was, but Lee’s brother stopped and turned.

”All other things aside…That was impressive. I’ll remember.” and then he really was leaving.

That seemed to shake Rachel out of her stupor and she rolled her eyes as Robert made his way to the doors. ”What is wrong with him?” she asked as she approached the spot where Tarin and Lee were still standing.

”I’m sorry Lee…” she said, ”I keep on saying and asking and doing the wrong things…but I’m sorry.”

Apprehensive was an excellent word for what Tarin was feeling as Lee assured him that she was fine and that what she was planning wouldn’t involve Tony being able to touch her.

Dammit, he’d been right. All of this had been to prove something to Robert and Rachel. This one more thing just to prove to them what she could do.

Tony was back now and talking to Lee, but she was making a fist and making her way towards the spirit, speaking along the way.

Tarin took another step back and then Lee moved. She moved so fast that it became obvious that Lee had been holding back this entire time. That she was probably always holding back. Lee threw a punch then and despite his larger size, Tony was literally flying across the gym.

Three stunned faces looked at Lee as they stood in the gym and Tarin let the connection with the spirit drop as he climbed to his feet. No lasting damage.

”Uh Lee…” Tarin said, moving over to where she was standing, ”That was amazing…and I think you made your point.”

Indeed, Rachel was openly gaping at where Tony had been a few moments before. Robert, on the other hand, was staring at Lee like he’d never seen her before.

No she wasn’t hurt, but yes she’d had the breath knocked out of her.

Lee was still struggling to catch her breath and when she opened her eyes and looked at him Tarin looked back steadily.

”Gonna sound weird, but you need to sit up and pull your knees up, hug them tight.” he said, reaching behind Lee to help sit her up so she could do what he said.

”That’s going to make your muscles stop spasming so you can breathe easier. Keep trying to take slow breaths, I know it’s hard, but it’ll ease up in a minute.” he said, hand on Lee’s back running up and down like she’d done for him before when he’d been panicking or having a nightmare.

Tarin was focused on Lee and couldn’t see or feel Rachel and Robert approaching. Tony was hovering off somewhere to the side, just standing there as he had the rest of the time when he wasn’t needed.

”Is she okay?” Rachel said.

”Of course she’s not okay, look at her…should I get help?” Robert said.

”She’s fine.” Tarin said, keeping his eyes on Lee’s, ”She said she’s fine, just got the breath knocked out of her.”

Because it was a more uncontrolled toss, Tony expected the woman to grab or flail. The last time they’d fought she’d shown that she was tough, but hadn’t had much formal training.

Lee’s arm wrapped around Tony’s neck and he followed her down to the mat, head in her stomach, arms trying to get a grip on her legs and pin her down. Control the situation, stay in contact, don’t let the opponent break control. These were basics and he had the size advantage even if she was much stronger and faster than she had any right to be.


—

Things were moving fast now and after that punch, Lee tried to counter and Tarin winced again as the rather large dead man in the ring unceremoniously tossed Lee over his hip and followed her to the ground.

”You’re really just going to watch this?” Robert said, ”That punch would have broke her jaw.”

”But it didn’t…just watch.” Robert was exaggerating anyway. Probably. Maybe. Something similar had happened the last time they’d done this and Lee had come out on top, literally and figuratively. Maybe she would this time too.

Despite the fact that they were absolutely joking, Tarin hoped that Lee would manage to dodge more hits than she took. When it came down to it, Tarin really hated to see Lee hurt, and while she was faster and stronger…as far as Tarin knew, her body wasn’t any more resilient than it normally was and Tony was big.

”And you can talk to him when the rest of us can’t see him?”

”Yep.” Tarin said.

”All the time?” Rachel continued.

”All the time.” Tarin confirmed.

”So, are there more?” Rachel asked quietly and Tarin debated how to answer the question. Yes, there absolutely were more. There were spirits pretty much everywhere in a city the size of New York. Most people were much happier not knowing that though.

”Right here? No. Within about 30 feet of anywhere I am? No. Anywhere else?” Tarin shrugged, ”A vast majority of them don’t even know who or where they are. The ones who do aren’t anything to worry about for you.”

Rachel nodded, but didn’t really look convinced. Why would she be? She knew about merges. ”They’re getting ready to start again…” Tarin said as a way to end the conversation for now.

Patience hadn’t ever really been Tony’s virtue in the ring. He’d been an aggressive fighter and that probably had something to do with why he’d never broken into the more elite ranks. If being dead was good for anything, it was good for teaching patience and Tony watched as the woman stepped sideways, keeping his guard up and waiting for her to make her move.

When she did, striking for his midsection, Tony took the hits with his elbows and forearms, waiting for the opening that the strikes would leave and then leveling a hard right at her face. He’d been told not to pull punches and he didn’t.

Lee mentioned a massage later and Tarin had to grin, it was really the least he could do…

Lee didn’t want to leave things at Tarin’s explanation though, she wanted to Rober to really get why she didn’t feel like she could go to a teacher or classes or a coach. Tarin wondered for a moment why she hadn’t ever gone to the Mansion, but kept the question to himself for another time.

Again, Tarin couldn’t help but thing, anyone who knew anything about Lee should have known that she would have looked into anything and everything to accomplish what she’d wanted to get done. When it hadn’t panned out, that’s when she’d decided to do it herself.

Lee looked back at him and boy did it give him the warm fuzzies when she said that working on this with him was probably the safest way to do things. Hearing safe and his powers in the same sentence wasn’t something Tarin was used to, but Lee really believed it.

Tarin was sure that he could control the situation too, and that it was better, for all the reasons Lee explained and then some.

”Alright. Point made. It’s apparently not any of my business anyway.” he said, accepting but clearly a bit peevish.

Tarin grinned at Lee again, ”Gonna go another round?” Tarin asked, ”If so, try not to get hit so much.” he added with a teasing grin before making his way back over and out of the way to give Lee a chance to decide what she wanted to do.