Tom's P.O.V.
------- 2 WEEKS LATER -------
The past 2 weeks could have been better. Lani had begun to walk around like a walking time bomb. Even the smallest of things set her off. I had been trying to organize a day out for me and her because no doubt being cooped up in the house is driving her insane.
"Love?"
"What?" She snapped at me. I walked over to the side of the bed where she was laying down and looking at the ceiling. She moved only her eyes and locked gazes with me.
"I'm going to take you out."
"But I don't want to."
"But you need to get out of the house. You have been cooped up in the house for a while and I can tell your starting to stress out."
"I'm not stressing out.... Believe me when I tell you, you would know when I was stressing out." I noticed that her breathing had picked up.
"Lani. You are stressed. Let me take you out and get some fresh air."
"Fine." She sighs and then swings her feet over the edge of the bed and stands, I stand and wait for her to get to my side before offering her my arm for support. "I'm not disabled Hiddleston." I roll my eyes so she can't see and drop my arm.
"I'm just trying to help, Love. You know that."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." She walks out of the room and i shake my head before following her down the stairs and into the lounge room where everybody is gathering around.
"Lani and I are going to go out for the day." I say softly to Craig and Leonie. They smile and nod, Lani rolls her eyes and makes her way out the front door and to one of the cars in the driveway.
"Try and keep her occupied for at least a few hours. We should have everything ready by the time you get back." Leonie says. I nod my head and then grab a set of car keys and walk out to see Lani pacing.
"Lani?" She stops pacing and looks at me. "Are you okay?"
"Peachy." I can tell that the smile she put on is forced and it quickly disappears.
"Come on then. Lets go."
Lani's P.O.V.
After a bit of a struggle, I managed to get into the car - which isn't easy to do when you have a swollen midrif - and Tom started driving. I stayed silent and looked out my window the entire drive.
I heard what sounded like a sigh come from Tom and I turned my head to look at him. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see. You'll like it. I promise." I roll my eyes again and then look around the car and I mentally point out all the imperfections in the car. By the time he stopped the car, I had found: 2 chips on my side of the windshield and another 3 on Tom's side, a patch of tinting had come off my window, the window didn't work - after trying about 300 times - and neither did the CD player - after eating one of my favorite CD's which I was not happy about and pouted with my arms crossed. The dashboard didn't light up properly, the stereo control was missing a button and driver side was missing a visor.
I was incredibly happy to be out of the car. It seemed like an evil contraption. It one of my favorite CD's for pete's sake! I was not a happy camper and I felt like kicking the car - which i probably would have done if Tom hadn't wrapped an arm around my shoulder and steered me away from the rotting hunk of metal.
We got to a place, I didn't bother reading the sign but there was an amazing smell coming from inside so I guessed it was a bakery of sorts. "Wait here and I'll be right back." I nod and he kisses my head, making me smile before heading inside the building.
"Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in." The hair on the back of my head stood on end as I heard him speak. I didn't need to turn around knowing that it was the horrid backstabbing bastard who had an alcohol problem.
"F*ck off Monty."I don't have to turn to know that he is walking closer to me. I see his shadow move closer to mine and silently will Tom to hurry up so we can leave without a hassle. I watch as his shadow towers above mine, letting me know that he is standing right behind me.
"Now that wasn't very nice." I heard him chuckle and a shiver ran up my spine. Not the good kind either. I stood transfixed, staring at the door to the bakery and trying to send mindwaves to Tom to tell him to get his arse... No make that his entire lanky frame outside. No such luck.
I tensed when I felt hands grab my upper arms and there is nothing gentle about the gesture. Not only am I now worried about me but my babies. Monty doesn't know - well he would now, can't exactly hide a 6 month belly. I'm still looking at the door to the shop and I can now see Tom and I'm willing to hurry up once more.
Monty has his face buried where my neck and shoulders meet doing nothing. Although I suddenly became painfully aware that he has his teeth sunk into the skin. I was trying hard not to react until the pain became too much and brought back those unwanted memories. "Tom." I whimper out as Monty seems to bite harder making me yelp and try to get away. I heard him chuckle again and I could now see Tom walking towards the door. Took him long enough.
Tom walks out and freezes, I'm sure my face is one of terror and fear, i mean yours would be too if you had someone holding you tightly by your upper arms and biting your shoulder with as much force as he can. "Tom." I whimper out again.
This time I gain Monty's attention and he very slowly lets go of my shoulder and stands to his full height behind me and looks at Tom. I'm now worried about Tom's safety as well. I can't feel anything from the bite that Monty gave me because it has gone numb and I can feel a trickle of something running from the bite wound down the front and back of my shoulder.
I zone in on Tom and I can see multiple emotions swirling around him, the biggest one being rage. I try to worm out of Monty grasp only to have him tighten his grip making me cry out in pain. "Monty, l-let me g-go.... Please." I struggle against his hold and try to walk towards Tom.
"Not until you see that you are better off with me, not him." Was he really thinking that? After having hurt me? He's nuts. I then see a flash of silver in the corner of my eye and turn my head to see that Monty has a gun pointed at Tom - who seems glued to the spot with more mixed emotions running across his face.
"Tom! Look out!" I try to wrestle the gun from his hand - which is very hard when I have only one hand to use - and I manage to get his arm in a locked position but I'm wincing as it is with the bitten shoulder that I'm doing it. Monty still has the gun aimed at Tom - who hasn't moved - and I'm trying desperately to get the gun out of his hand. Quite frankly, I'm surprised that people haven't noticed.... but then again we seem to be the only ones here.
I close my eyes as a shot fires and my ears ring from how close it was to my head and I move my arms and cover my ears - Monty having let go and still standing behind me - as I fall to my knees and curl over in a fetal position trying to gain back my hearing.
Lifting my head I can just make out footsteps receeding from behind me and know that it's Monty leaving. I look around to try and find Tom. "Tom!" I get up and continue to look around. Where is he?! If i wasn't stressed before, now I'm mega stressed. "Tom!" I'm getting anxious and let out a yelp/scream as I feel a hand on my shoulder.
Instantly I turn to see Tom looking at me with a worried look. "Are you alright?" I don't answer him and slowly move my hand to his cheek, just to make sure he is indeed real and not a figment of my imagination. I feel his smooth skin and then I hear his chuckle but then notice that it sounds pained.
My gaze moves from his face to his left arm which has a graze on it. "Tom, your bleeding." I look back at his face now worried about him more than ever.
"You know you are too right?" I look at him with a shocked look.
"I-I am?" He nods an points to my left shoulder which now adorns a set of teeth marks which are bruised around the edges and are indeed bleeding. Man! He did bite me hard.... He's a sick freak.
"Come on." He held out a hand and I gently took, aware that any major or quick movement sent pain through my arm and across the top of my back and neck. We walk to the car and instead of getting in the passenger seat, I walk to the boot leaving Tom hanging with the door open and a confused face.
"Come here. I want to do something." He stands and blinks a few times before slowly walking towards me. "Sit down." He hesitantly obeys and I look at him. "Do you like this shirt?"
"What?"
"Do you like this shirt?"
"I suppose? Why?"
"Do you like it enough that you can forgive me?"
"What are-" I cut him off by tearing the sleeve from his shot arm and he looked at me shocked. Guess he might have liked that shirt more than he let on..... Oh well.
"Forgive me?" He slowly nods his head. I roll my eyes and open the first aid kit that I had found in the car. I open a cleaning swab and hold it just above the graze and hesitate for a brief moment before applying it to clean it.
"F*CKING HELL!" Tom hissed through gritted teeth. I felt bad but kept doing it anyway as Tom continued to reel off all sorts of colorful language while I did that. When I finished I grabbed a guaze pad and place it over the wound.
"Hold that." He grumbles something that I don't really pay attention too before grabbing a bandage and wrapping it around the padding. When I finish Tom looks to be brooding. I roll my eyes and go to move when he grabs my forearm.
"If you fixed me up, i get to fix you up." I raise an eyebrow challanging him.
"Is that right? Do you know how to?" I torment him, knowing full well he does and riling him up even more.
"Sit." I slowly sit down where he sat and he repeats the process on me and I will admit I threatened Tom's life a few times while he did it and he had the audacity to grin and chuckle at my insults. I stood up and grumbled the entire time home. I could tell Tom was smiling. Paybacks a bitch.
We arrive home and I walk to the door still grumbling. "I could just about kill you right now Hiddleston." All he did was chuckle. Bastard.
He opened the door for me and the entire room.... no make that house was cloaked in darkness and my senses became fully aware. I could feel Tom breathing on the base of my neck and he tried to usher me forwards with a light push on my spine. I tried to resist until he pushed harder and heard and felt the ground underneath me change from carpet to tiles.
Before I can adjust a light flicks on a whole bunch of people yell out SURPRISE, making me scream and grip Tom's hand like it was my only life line. I know he felt pain but refused to show it. I slowly let go of his hand and gingerly walked towards my parents eyeing off every person in the room. I knew all of them somehow.
I could feel tears stinging my eyes. I don't know if they were happy or sad tears but instead of continuing to my parents, I abruptly turned and rushed up the stairs and to my room where I slammed the door. I lay on the bed and cuddled the life out of my pillow and cried myself to sleep, wanting to just block everything out.
A/N: Yeah another depressing chapter I know. I will try to make the next one happier, I promise and the next chapter will explain why Monty has become how he has. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Don't hate me for this chapter, I had a lot of trouble writing it and had me in tears a bit. Hope it's alright.
~Z