Not edited. Yikes! The last chapter? We shall see.

Tara giggled to herself as she sat beside Lucas on the drive home. Her thoughts were of the night before when the brothers all came home and could hardly stand. None were capable of a real conversation with words that left them all very amused. The idea that Grayson was pregnant and someone stole his baby had her laughing out loud while Lucas looked sideways at her before looking back to the road.

"We're never going to live it down are we?"

She shook her head, turned to look at him again and immediately laughing harder until she was left with curling herself up on her seat holding her stomach as tears of laughter ran down her face.

"You know baby it's not nice to laugh at others misfortune."

She laughed harder.

"Babyyyy... come on... it's not that funny." Lucas tried not to smile as her laughs became infectious.

"Tara Porter! Stop laughing this instant!"

Tara's laughs became hiccups as she tried to hold them back.

"Just think about our new niece and how beautiful she is." He was willing to try anything to lessen his embarrasment.

Tara drew in a deep breath and exhaled sharply as the motion gave way to a sharp stitch and she squirmed with discomfort.

"Are you ok baby?" Lucas asked as he realised her gasps were no longer laughs but ones of real pain.

"Yeah... no." Her body twisted and she writhed in pain waiting for the stitch to subside.

"Baby? Tara? Do you want me to stop the car?"

"No... I should be ok... yes! Please. I need to get out and stretch."

Lucas pulled the car over in the dirt at the side of the country road. As Tara moved with winces and gasps he ran around to her side of the car and opened the door.

"Oh baby" the pain in her eyes was more than he could handle and he gently helped her out and walked with her as she moved with spasms grabbing each time she tried to stretch.

He was sure he had her fingers imprinted into his arms... God... what Josie must have gone through in childbirth! Hell if Tara went through too much pain then he'd have to kill someone. Drugs. Josie said the drugs were wonderful and made it all easier. Yes. When they had children he'd make sure Tara was as high as a kite so she didn't feel it.

Would she want to?

Tara started walking a little straighter as the stitch eased away to be replaced by a dull ache. She turned to Lucas and hit his arm.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"For making me laugh."

Lucas smirked "Well I guess you'll think twice before laughing at me again then won't you?"

Her mouth dropped open as her eyes narrowed to look at him.

"Are you saying this is my fault?"

Lucas ran his tongue over his lips nervously... damn Josie and Anna! She was starting to sound just as mean as them. Mean? Well no, just more determined to be in control and he knew without a doubt he was still and always would be as whipped as his brothers.

"Um... no? But..."

Her hands were on her hips and her head tilted to the side.

"Lucas.." she warned.

"I love you."

Her eyes softened briefly before hardening back up.

"You think that fixes everything?"

"Well" he gave her a sheepish grin as he ran a hand over the back of his neck "I had hoped."

Tara started to giggle. Her hands moved to his cheeks and she pinched them in a hold before tapping them.

"You're so cute."

Lucas spluttered "Cute? Cute? I'm not cute! I'm..."

"Cute. Yep... definitely cute."

Lucas reached out to pull her towards him.

"OK wife. I'm the man here and I'm telling you that I'm. not. cute." He punctuated the words and Tara's grin widened.

"Yeah you are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not!"

He moved to capture her mouth before she could say another word. They both moaned softly, each giving in to the need to deepen the kiss and make it linger until they heard a car engine echoing in the distance and pulled away.

Lucas sighed "Come on baby, we have to keep moving. Are you ok now though?"

"Yeah. Just a dull ache."

"I know what you mean" he wiggled his eyebrows at her before laughing at her reddening cheeks and moving away to walk her back to the car.

Looking up at the sky Lucas frowned "I think we're heading into a storm."

"Maybe we should turn back?"

"Hell no!" He helped her into the car and went around to the drivers seat "We never have any time alone and I'm not wasting any of it worrying about a little rain."

She smiled softly as he started the car. She knew he was right. It was rare that they ever had any time to themselves but it made her wonder what their lives were going to be like. She loved her family but sometimes the lack of privacy was annoying. Knowing that every thing she did meant that someone was nearby and could disturb her at any time upset her more than once. She'd spent most of her life having quiet time that allowed her to recharge and be stronger within herself but now... she didn't. She missed the solitude.

Lucas glanced to his side and saw the frown on Tara's face and wondered what brought it on. Was she regretting being alone with him?  God he had to stop that. He sounded like a lovesick teenager bumbling with his feelings.

"You ok baby? You don't look happy."

"Do you ever feel like you're suffocating? Like there's too many people around and nowhere to hide?"

Lucas nodded and chuckled "All the time baby. You get used to living it but you don't really get used to living in it..." he paused "Is that what you're feeling?"

Tara breathed in deeply "Yeah. The beach house is great but with everyone there it's like there's no privacy and now Maggie and Peter are getting married will Peter and Keiran be living there permanently? And the guys? I know they have their own rooms separate but still it's like..." she broke off looking for the words she wanted.

"Like living in a fish bowl?" he offered.

"Exactly! Like living in a fishbowl. I don't want them to leave but

I miss the quiet sometimes."

Lucas nodded thoughtfully.

"I've been thinking about all that. Who lives where in the house and how damn annoying it is knowing that you and I only have time to ourselves at night... not that I mind that though" he chuckled and Tara's cheeks blazed "but it'd be nice to have somewhere to sit just as us. So I've been thinking..."

"And?" she prompted, eagerly waiting to hear his answer.

"Well the house is huge so I'm thinking that maybe there'd be a way to separate it so we all have our own living areas. Sort of, well I guess like small units with one main living area we can all get together if we choose."

"Yes! Oh I like the sound of that. Can we do it? Please Lucas?"

Oh hell. He couldn't refuse her a damn thing when she used thar voice.

"I'll talk to an architect and see what we can do."

Tara squealed and grabbed his arm before realising and pulling back.

"Thank you Lucas."

"Anytime baby."

Their journey became silent as they watched the sky. Rain started to drizzle and Lucas stayed focused on the road.

"We're about five miles from the next town. How about we grab something to eat while we wait for the storm to pass? I'll call Grayson and let him know what's happening."

"Sounds great. I'm hungry" her stomach agreed as it's rumbles matched the distant noise in the sky.

Lucas laughed and then fell silent as the rain fell harder. His driving was almost a crawl as the wipers struggled to keep up with the now deluge of streaming water.

"mmmm... I think we might be stuck for a while baby. This rain looks like it's settled in. I'll see if.. ah there."

He nodded to the sign they were passing that said that Barneys Motel was up ahead. They were close to town when disaster struck. The car slid, aqua planed across the road and towards a ditch.

Tara held onto her seat with one hand and the dash with the other as Lucas fought to gain control of the car. He lost it suddenly and the car slid down the small embankment. Water was gaining height as the rain poured and te water sodden earth couldn't soak any more in.

"Fûck! Hold on tight baby. If I tey and do anything now it'll make it ten times worse."

Tara shook through her shock and nodded. She wasn't letting go any time soon.

Finally the car stopped and while they were at an angle they weren't hurt and by the looks of it the car hadn't suffered any lasting damage.

Now they just had to get out. Lucas tried to push his door upwards and the force of gravity laughed at him and slammed it shut again. He opened the window and cried out at the freezing rain that hammered against him before climbing out and leaning back in to Tara who sat in shock.

"Baby" he said softly "undo your seatbelt and move towards me."

She didn't hear him. She didn't feel the rain that fell past him until she saw a set of lights coming towards them followed by another. Their blinding sharpness in the middle of the day was a reflection of the darkness surrounding the sky.

"Come on baby" Lucas encouraged as he held out his hand. Silently he begged her. He was damn scared. He could see the water rising faster than before and if they didn't get her out of there soon the water would start to lap the door.

"Tara... baby... please take my hand" he moved his hand down as far as his arm would let him. "Please baby... please. Come on baby. Undo your seatbelt and reach out and I'll guide you... please!"

In the deafening sounds from outside she heard doors slamming and yells and saw movements from the front and back of her. She blinked quickly and shook her head and turned to look up to Lucas. His face ashen as his hair dripped water that pelted down on him.

"Tara baby. Please. Please baby... take my hand."

The sweetest sound he ever heard was the click of her seatbelt releasing and it was quickly followed by relief as Tara grabbed his hand and together they worked to get her out of the car.

He held her close as men scrambled around the car and with winches soon had the car back on the main road.

A big man came up to them, introduced himself and just a minute later they were in his truck and headed the final distance to town and to Barney's motel where they could shower and get some warmth back into them.

*******

sigh... I couldn't do it. I was going to finish here but no... I'm a sucker for pleasing people. I will tell you though that this story will in no way go past 100 parts.. even if the last part is 50miles long lol.