Not edited. I can't believe we've come to this... and I'm posting early! This is the end. The finish. The kaput. OMG! I had this written months ago but posting it now makes me cry. It's been an awesome journey with many ups and downs, laughs and tears and lots of falling in love with Lucas and Tara. Thank you for sharing my writing journey through this story. xxxxxxxxxxx

Tara stood with Maggie's arm wrapped around her shoulders and watched as the car pulled away. Her tears of pain were more than real.

Watching Lucas speed down the driveway like a madman wasn't what she'd expected to happen. But happening it was... he was driving away... he'd left.

"It's ok sweetie. He'll be back. When he realises what he's done he'll be back." Maggie's soothing voice calming her.

"It hurts so much Mum" she whimpered.

"I know my lovely" she brushed the tears from her daughters' cheeks "it'll all be over soon. He'll be back and..."

Maggie stopped talking as the sound of tyres cutting up gravel with hard braking reached them and they saw the red lights of Lucas' car dim as he started again but this time he was driving towards them and not away.

Her body gripped her as her insides felt like someone had ripped them out, stomped on them and shoved them back in without a care. She felt like buckling over and giving in, to let the pain she felt take her over.

Lucas stopped the car in front of the steps and with the engine running he jumped out and went to the front of the car and opened his arms wide.

"What the fûck Tara?"

Tara whimpered as another wave of pain coursed through her.

Lucas' eyes softened and with two large leaps he was by her side.

"I thought you were in the car."

He bent down and tucked an arm around the back of her legs to pick her up bridal style. Carrying her to the car he reached and opened the back door and gently placed her inside.

Across the seats he could see Maxon at the drivers door and getting in behind the wheel.

"What the fûck Max?"

Maxon turned in his seat and with a hard face he spoke to Lucas.

"Get in the fücking car with your wife. You're in no state to drive, You're not thinking straight so I'm driving."

Lucas shared a look with him, memories passed between them and he nodded. He knew this was something that Maxon wouldn't budge on and indeed he had to agree. He wasn't in the best frame of mind for driving. He did, after all, leave his very, in labor, pregnant wife on the steps of their home and drive away without her. Something he knew his brothers would never let him live down.

The ride to the hospital was joined by the crushing of every bone in his hand as wave after wave of pain racked through Tara's body. He wasn't sure if it was the physical or the emotional turmoil that had him wanting to cry. He just knew one thing... this wasn't how they told them labor would be in lamaze class. They'd expected the labor would go on for hours but the pains that Tara was feeling were less than three minutes apart.

Was there something wrong? Wasn't this too fast? His heart clenched at the thought of something happening to his girl.

"Well it seems that this little one is eager to come out and greet the world."

He wanted to punch the cow. Any idiot could see that Tara was in pain and about to give birth and the cow was all smiles and happy fairy pleasantries?  Like fû...

Maxon grabbed his shoulder to calm him. He watched his little brother's face and knew he was about to explode.

Lucas inhaled and then winced as his hand was gripped once again in a death vice. Tara screamed and he went white. She'd been whimpering and crying but to scream? Fûck! He did this to her! Shít she must be in a lot of pain with this labor. Fûck he'd keep his dîck to himself or wear a fûcking raincoat if he had to but he wouldn't put her through this pain ever again.

They wheeled Tara into the labor ward and helped her get settled into position. It was there with the gas mask over her face that she started to feel the slightest relief but the pain pushed through and Lucas hated himself even more.

He tried to talk to her, to talk calmly and in a soothing manner as he'd been instructed but quickly gave up when the look she gave him would easily make the best killing machine he'd ever come across.

He told her how much he loved her. Over and over again he told her while wiping the sweat from her face.

She leaned into him completely exhausted but still unable to rest. The last pain hit her and all she wanted was someone to slice her open and take the baby out. No one told her labor hurt this much. They said it hurt and that once the baby was born she'd forget the pain and all she could think was fûck them!

A baby's cry filled the room and the whole world stopped to focus on the new bundle of joy who, with a scrunched up screaming face was the most beautiful baby they'd ever seen.

They were in awe of the life they'd created and as they had their first cuddles their lives felt whole.

.

Dimmed lights lit the room and soft shadows fell across her baby's face as she looked down on her perfect little angel. A blessing she was sure to treasure.

This is the moment that made her life feel complete. The moment that put her life into more prespective than it'd ever been before. This was without a doubt the icing on the cake from which she once wished for just a slice. A slice that everyone else had. A chance to be a normal teen living a normal life.

Since the day when she and Lucas got stuck in the storm and ended up at Barney's motel their lives had become more fulfilling and now, four years later, their dream was fulfilled. She'd finished university when she was six months pregnant and was grateful she wasn't having to go through classes being further along in the heat of the Australian summer.

They'd had the opportunity to know their families more than ever before. Once just the brothers who were close was now a whole family of people who loved one another.

Her sister in law Gemma was now living with them at the beach house while her brother in law Christopher came to stay in a room that he himself helped to decorate. It was bare but it was his, his little sanctuary away from the busy world.

True to his word Lucas had turned the house into a small series of living quarters so they all had their privacy with one thing that would never change. Every night they all met and ate dinner in Maggie and Peter's kitchen.

Her grandmother Moira had stayed in the nursing home until she passed away seven months earlier. They became so close they were more than just relatives by blood with no options. They became relatives by choice spending every moment they could together. Tara learnt so much about her own mother she felt like she was almost living again through the eyes of her grandmother. Moira's face when she found out that Tara was going to be a mother herself was one that Tara would remember forever. Her whole being lightened up through her debilitating arthritic pain.

There was so much more of their life for them to live now and as warm arms reached around her and a chin rested on her shoulder with a soft kiss to the side of her neck, she knew their story was just beginning.

"You should be resting" he said softly.

"I was for a bit but I couldn't help but look at her again."

Lucas looked down at their sleeping daughter and as it had when he first held her and looked down at her perfect pink face, his heart filled with love and pride both for her and his beautiful wife.

"I think we have the most beautiful little girl in the world."

"Is she really ours?" Tara asked with amazement.

"After what you went through you're actually asking that?" he asked with a smirk.

Tara laughed quietly "Yeah I could do without that pain again in a hurry."

Lucas' arms tightened and his face grew solemn.

"I... Baby if you don't want to go through that again then it's ok with me."

"Maybe not for a long time" she laughed "but yes... one day."

Lucas shuddered and Tara turned to look at him in surprise.

"Baby," he nodded to the crib "just look at her... if we have another girl then I'll never get any rest."

Tara wanted to smile but waited.

"Hell... boys! Hell no! Our girl's either going to live like a nun or I'm buying a bigger gun! Thank God the boys all agree with me."

Tara giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Maybe her mother could live like a nun with her then?"

Lucas looked at her completely horrified and pulled her into his body.

"Hell no! Not on my watch baby."

He lent down and kissed her passionately before raising his head and looking deeply into her eyes.

"We have to name her you know. Girl is cute but she should have a name."

"I have the perfect name."

"What's that baby?"

"Moira Lucia Porter."

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THE END

or is it?

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I will have a quick note to follow this... you want to read.