Not edited.

"Peter you've gotta hide me!"

Tara ran into the kitchen with a towel wrapped around her head. The fear in her eyes was evident as they landed on Keirans dad who sat shaking his head with a smiling but sad grin.

"Sorry Tara. It's not worth putting myself on the line when Keiran's in a mood like this."

She fell to her knees in front of him and begged.

"Please Peter!! Please! Please! Please! Pleeeeaaassseeee..."

Peter grinned at her and shook his head again before helping her stand up.

"Sorry Kiddo. I made the mistake of asking Ke to get me a tie out of my cupboard one day and it took him three hours to decide on which shade of black. Nope. You're on your own."

"Onyx Dad. The tie was onyx." Keiran walked through the door with his eyes narrowed on Tara. "Girl you have three hours left before Lucas gets here. We're running out of time!"

"Three hours Ke..."

He looked at her and she immediately backed down and took the hand that he was holding out. She looked at Peter in desperation as Keiran started leading her out of the room.

"Help me!" she mouthed to him only to be rewarded with a chuckle and a shake of the head as he stood and watched Keirans latest victim disappear while still pleading with him.

He thought of the broken girl who'd first come to live with them. Between himself, Keiran and Jace they surrounded her with the love of a family, a feeling that she'd never had. Even now he wasn't sure if she actually accepted that she was a part of them but he swore that if Lucas didn't do the right thing by her this time then he'd make sure the arsehöle suffered. No one hurts his daughter and gets away with it!

The doorbell rang. Keiran went into an immediate panic as he surveyed the efforts he'd put into his masterpiece all afternoon.

"TARA!" Peter's voice travelled down the hall.

"Well girl. My work here is done. You look beautiful."

Tara looked in the mirror and saw a face she didn't recognise looking back at her and started to tear up.

"Keiran" she whispered.

"Oh no no no! You're not spoiling this. Out!"

Keiran grabbed her by the shoulders and started pushing her out of the room.

Peter stood in the open door looking Lucas up and down before narrowing his eyes and looking into his face.

"I don't care who you are Porter. You hurt her I'll make you regret it."

"I don't plan on hurting her sir."

"Make sure you don't."

"I won't." Lucas answered firmly.

"Do you love her?" Peter asked.

"Yes sir I do."

Peter looked at him with a curious wonder.

"You better."

"Sir, I know I...." he broke off as Tara came into view over Peter's shoulder.

"Wow."

Tara blushed as she came closer.

Peter took a step to the side and watched as Lucas stepped forward to kiss Tara gently on the cheek before moving back to look at her.

"You look beautiful baby."

Tara shuffled her feet with a nervous but happy smile.

Keiran looked on with a tear running down his face.

"My baby grew up."

Lucas, Tara and Peter chuckled at his dramatics before Lucas took Tara by the arm and led her out the door as Peter spoke up again.

"Take care of my daughter Lucas."