Scarred**ON HOLD**

Chapter Three

Tanner’s POV:

She had fallen asleep yesterday around eight o’clock at night soundlessly in my arms; now, twenty hours later, she was beginning to stir as Ethan, Delilah, and I were finishing up tending to her wounds.  She had a deep gash above her right eyebrow, a sprained ankle, a missing tooth, and a broken nose.  She had lost a lot of blood, and I knew she was going to hate the fact that I was putting her on bed rest for a couple of days.

“Ethan, Delilah, give us a couple minutes?” my voice managed to croak out of me.   Delilah and I both saw Ethan getting ready to put up a fight.  “It’ll only be a couple of minutes, I promise.” I said.  Delilah quickly blew the door open and moved him out into the hall, took one last glance at me, and then vanished herself.  My eyes and attention turned to Jennifer as her gaze met mine and we simply stared at each other for a while.  I then leaned down and kissed her forehead lightly, before pulling up a chair from a corner in her room and sitting next to her.  Taking her hand in my own, just as I had done so many times before.

Somehow, this time was different now.  She was in some way different, I could see it in her crystal green eyes.  “I know you have questions,” I said, “but before you start to ask them, I need to ask you something.”  She nodded for me to continue, and I started rubbing circles into the back of her hand with my thumb.  “Jen, do you know who you are now? What, what you can do?”  There was silence for a moment, before she shook her head no. And my head dropped down to my chest.

“You’re the one that mom and dad used to tell us about.  You’re it.  The one that comes every couple of thousands of years.  You’re the one who has everything.  Everything Jen.  Tutto.  Omnia.  Tous.  Tudo.  Viskas.  It doesn’t matter how you say it, you’re it.  Ok? Do you get it now?”  Ethan had managed to burst into the room and say all of this within a ten second interval.  Delilah was quickly following him and trying to shove him back out the door before I held my hand up to stop her.  There was no point anymore.

I looked again to Jennifer to see how she was doing.  “You’re the only one that can read it Jennifer.  The only one for thousands of more years.”  I said cautiously, watching to see how much I could tell her before she broke.  Her eyes were wide, but besides that she was emotionless.  She sat up then, the pain seeming not to affect her as she looked at each of us.

“Do we know where the book, or where Damien is.”  She spoke more than asked to no one in particular.  Delilah cleared her throat then and began to answer her question for all of us.

“When you sent Damien away, we have no idea where he went.  But we do believe  that his power was drained and it should take him about a weeks time in order to get back to his full strength.  As for the book, we’ve had Aaron looking for it since you’ve gotten back, and he thinks he’s narrowed it down to a few places.  We’re assembling a small group right now to go with you to retrieve it though as soon as you’re able.”  She was nearly out of breath by the time she was done explaining all that she knew, and Jennifer nodded at her, beginning to throw the covers off of her legs and stand up.

“Good, I’m ready now.  When can they be ready to leave.” I stood up now too and Ethan walked to stand next to me and his sister before she could go anywhere.

“You are not going anywhere.  You got that?  You were nearly killed the other day, and now you’re willing to throw yourself back into the action before you’re even done healing.  No.  As your brother I’m protecting you.  And seeing as how my sister is now something out of a legend, I guess we all have to protect you from everything.”  Ethan pushed her back down onto the bed and I could tell she was glowering at him without even having to look at her.

He spun on his heel and left her.  Delilah followed soon, saying something about bringing up tea in a bit.  Jennifer was in the same position as Ethan had left her, but instead of fiery, angry eyes, I was met with near tears and a quivering lip.  I felt a lump begin to rise in my throat again, but I suppressed it and laid down next to her.  She climbed into my lap and buried her face as much as possible before letting herself cry.

I held her close to me and let her know that I was there, but truthfully, what was I to do at a time like this?  I had no idea what she was going through, and I’m pretty sure she didn’t either.  Soon enough I heard her cries subside, and then end all together.  “Tanner, I’m ok.  I won’t leave yet, I’ll wait a couple of weeks, but I can’t stay holed up in my room forever.  I have to start training...learning how to do this, my responsibilities now, all of it.”  She had lifted her head to look at me now, and I could see the strength just in the way that she held herself, and was completely astounded by it.

“What?” she asked, now becoming self conscious of herself and averting her eyes once again.  I caught hold of her chin and forced her to look up at me.

“I just don’t understand how you do it.  How you keep yourself together, it’s, it really is amazing Jennifer.” She smiled then, and placed her head on my chest, just above my heart, in the most calming moment I could have imagined.

“I owe it all to you, and Ethan, and everyone here.”  She popped up off the bed now, and walked to the ivory door leading into her bathroom.  “Now please leave my room so I can clean up.  I promise I’ll be down in a few minutes to talk to everyone in the troop.”  My eyes must have given away, for she quickly added afterwards; “Don’t worry Tan, I’m ok.  Really.”  She gave me attempted smile then, and I took it.  Placing the image in the back of my mind for me to remember on a rainy day.  I smiled back.

“Alright love.  Fifteen minutes.  Anymore than that and God knows Ethan and I will be up here knocking your door down.”  She laughed and nodded her head yes before slipping past the doorway and closing it shut.  Moments later I heard the water come to life, and I exited her room.

Down the flights of stairs, and out into the living room to be greeted with a wall of questions by the other members of the household.

A/N: IT HAS BEEN WAY TOO LONG SINCE I HAVE UPDATED THIS!!! And I am so incredibly sorry for that.  But I love this story, a lot, and will be updating much more frequently.  For those of you that actually read this, I love you so much.  Thank you!!!

xxx

Kayt :)