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Post by Zachary Scotts on Oct 17, 2008 0:22:01 GMT -5
Zachary sighed with relief as Thatcher left. "It's OK, the timing was working against us. It's just as well they're involved now, because it saves me from having to explain it later." He looked at her worriedly. Then he began to speak in a rush of words, trying to get everything out before someone returned. "Susie... I want you to understand, it was not my choice to leave you. I didn't want to leave. Taylor found out about us and.... well, it's not important, but the main thing is, he forced me to leave. He said he wouldn't hurt either of us if I left town. But tell me the truth... did he hurt you? Because if he did, I swear, I *will* kill him."
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Post by Suzette Rousseau on Oct 17, 2008 1:09:36 GMT -5
Susie shook her head, not understanding. "He knew? He... oh, Merlin..." that explained a lot to her. It explained why he had been so angry that night that she had slept with him. Why didn't he just confront her about it, though?
She put a hand to her stomach. It was reflex now, and one day, she'd feel a bump there.
"No, it didn't happen like that... I mean, I didn't get a chance to explain fully. He came home one night and he was really angry... it was a couple of weeks before you left, and it must have been when he found out about us. He does love me, Zach, and he doesn't... he wouldn't mean to hurt me. But he was *so* angry and I couldn't calm him down any other way. I didn't want to... but it makes sense now... that he had to feel like I was his."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Oct 17, 2008 11:09:38 GMT -5
Zachary sighed. He was relieved to hear that Taylor hadn't hurt her. "Can you forgive me for leaving? You have to know... I do love you. More than I've ever loved any woman. I didn't want to lose you, but I... well, you were right before when you said I was a coward. I listened to threats and let him force me out of town. I gave up on you, and I never should have done that."
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Post by Suzette Rousseau on Oct 17, 2008 11:29:01 GMT -5
Susie shook her head slight. Obviously, this changed things. She could still be angry with him, but not quite as angry anymore. And it was like Taylor to do something like that. And why didn't he take her with him, away from that?
"I wouldn't have tried to find you if it weren't for the baby," she said. "I don't know what I even expected to happen... I just thought you should know, and I was scared to wait until I knew whose it was first."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Oct 17, 2008 13:19:21 GMT -5
Zachary nodded quietly. "I understand. You can't forgive me that easily. I don't deserve it. I need to prove myself to you."
Sighing, he glanced towards the door, wondering where Justin was with the water. "Listen.... my brother isn't going to let you leave until we know whose child your carrying. And if it's mine... you're going to have to stay here. We'll figure out what to do about Taylor. When Tanya comes back, she's going to do a test to find out if I'm the father, and they want you to be asleep while she does it. But I promise you, I'll stay right here with you the whole time."
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Post by Suzette Rousseau on Oct 17, 2008 13:58:04 GMT -5
"No," she said with no hesitation. She knew what the test consisted of. She'd had it explained to her, and almost had it done before she came here. It wasscary enough as it was, but Zach was asking her to let that woman do it? That women was terrible, and cold, and callous. In no way did she want that woman sticking a needle into her womb, being that close to be able to hurt her child.
"No," she repeated. "Take me to a hospital and we'll do it there. I won't let her touch me."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Oct 17, 2008 14:03:04 GMT -5
Zachary frowned. He didn't quite have the understanding of what the test consisted of, and Tanya had assured him it would be safe. Would his sister lie to him?
"She's my sister," he said gently. "And she's a certified healer; she works at the hospital. I can tell her that we have to do it there, if that would make you feel better," he suggested.
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Post by Suzette Rousseau on Oct 17, 2008 14:07:33 GMT -5
"And she hates me," Susie added. "Don't you think it'd be... safer... to have someone nonpartial to the situation handle it?" Someone who didn't look at her like she was the lowest of the low, ad potentially ruining their family? Granted, she gave Zachary the same look, but that hardly made her feel better.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Oct 17, 2008 14:34:29 GMT -5
Justin knocked on the door with a glass of water, this time in a cup that was unbreakable.. just in case. "Zach it's me." When his uncle said to come in he brought the woman the cup. "Here, Suzie. Water for you." He didn't leave, he wasn't a threat right now and he genuinely cared at the moment. Though mainly for the baby but.. it was an odd thing even he didn't quite understand but she seemed to need someone on her side and he felt a sense of duty considering how he'd been the first to find out and well.. if it was his blood...
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Post by Suzette Rousseau on Oct 17, 2008 14:40:27 GMT -5
Susie was almost grateful for his appearance again. It was odd for her as well, given his harsh treatment and cold words earlier, she felt connected to him somehow. Maybe it was because he was the first person she had told about the baby, but that made him a lifeline to her.
"Thank you, Justin," she said softly, her eyes avoiding Zach's. They were still on Justin, silently pleading with him to stay.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Oct 17, 2008 14:46:09 GMT -5
He looked at Suzie, ignoring his uncle. "Should I stay or go, Suzie? It's your choice." He stood waiting to see what she needed. He didn't know why but he felt obligated to ask her instead of Zach, though likely the look of 'help' in her eyes was the reason.
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Post by Suzette Rousseau on Oct 17, 2008 14:52:02 GMT -5
That alone endeared him enough to her that she suddenly trusted him. It was a sad statement, but she trusted him more than she trusted Zachary right now. She had every right to be angry with Zachary, and his family, including Justin, but the bugger knew just how to play his cards that she wasn't angry at him. Zachary was not exempt.
"Please stay."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Oct 17, 2008 15:01:53 GMT -5
Zachary narrowed his eyes at Justin. He had no right to feel jealous, since he'd essentially stolen her from another man in the first place, but he didn't like the odd connection between his nephew and Susie.
"All right, Susie," he said after a moment. "When Tanya gets back, I'll tell her we won't be doing the test here. We'll take you to St. Mungo's and we'll have a neutral party healer perform the test. "
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Post by Suzette Rousseau on Oct 17, 2008 15:11:16 GMT -5
Susie nodded. "Okay. Thank you."
She was torn. What did she do if the child wasn't Zachary's? It made everything easier, that was for certain. Then, if he fought for her, she would know he still cared about her and not the baby.
"Maybe I lied, Zach," she whispered. "There's no baby at all. I mean, I don't even look pregnant, do I? What if the baby was just way to keep us together?"
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Oct 17, 2008 15:15:06 GMT -5
Zachary looked at her for a minute. "Are you lying about it?" he asked gently. "Honestly... I don't even care why you're here. I'm just glad that you are. I never thought I would see you again, and frankly, the prospect was depressing as hell. I missed you, Susie. I know you don't believe that... I've left an awful lot of women in my past. You were the first one I truly missed."
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Post by Suzette Rousseau on Oct 17, 2008 15:19:15 GMT -5
"And I bet you say that to any of the ones who show up again," She said softly. She didn't tell him whether or not she was lying about being pregnant. She most definitely was not lying about it, but he already told her he would have let her go if he was the only one who knew about the child. So somewhere deep down, he didn't care about the baby either... maybe he was the selfish man she saw when she first met him. He had changed her views of him so quickly, though.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come looking for you."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Oct 17, 2008 15:24:32 GMT -5
He most certainly would not have said that to any of his former conquests if they had sought him out. In fact, he was rather ashamed to admit, but the couple of times he'd run into old flames, he had been openly rude to them, cutting them off without a word. He'd been a real ass, actually.
"I shouldn't have left you," he said quietly. "And I know it's going to take a lot of convincing for you to forgive me... but please know this, Susie. When you met me, I was the selfish jerk you thought I was. But somehow... you changed me."
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Post by Suzette Rousseau on Oct 17, 2008 15:44:35 GMT -5
Suzie refrained from rolling her eyes. Men didn't want to be changed, and women always tried. She hadn't tried to change him. He had just... become this gentlemen, despite the fact that he was stealing a woman away from her fiance... and she had fallen for him.
She quietly sipped on her water, realizing finally how hungry she was, and sighed. The sooner they could get her to the hospital and get this over with, the better.
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Oct 17, 2008 15:44:49 GMT -5
Thatcher decided they had enough time alone when he watched his son go back inside and not return. He entered the room again, his eyes surveying the three of them before he spoke to his brother.
"Tanya will be here soon."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Oct 17, 2008 15:48:41 GMT -5
Zachary met his brother's eyes. "The situation has changed," he said firmly. "We're not doing the test here. I want her to stay, have something to eat, and then we are taking her to St. Mungo's to have the test done there. And Tanya will not be doing it. Susie would like an objective third party to perform the test."
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