Hi Everyone, another long overdue update. The Fic is starting to take more of a darker turn but hoping you guys are still enjoying. Please R&R! God Bless xx :)

d/c: I own nothing but my own imagination.

Chapter Fifteen: Home Again

I remember learning once in science class about how the human brain has two sides to it: the rational side and the creative side. It isn't that difficult to identify the various outputs reflective of those sides of the brain: art, creative writing, logic, math. But what I had never really before considered was the way that these two sides affect what we fear, and the way we judge others.

From the moment I'd met him, I had felt vividly the war taking place in my mind. My thoughts were constantly alternating back and forth, between the intuitive dread which made my chest ache and tighten and my breathing more rakish, and the rational reprimand that my mind gave to my body over and over: "What are you so worried about? Ty knows this guy. Ty is not a trusting person by any standards, so if there was something to worry about he'd take care of it. Stop being so stupid Gemma, you're completely overreacting!" For a brief moment these thoughts would calm me… but then the dread would fill me again and the battle began afresh, over and over, and over again.

I knew that in reality, the drive back home from the bush took no longer than the drive we'd made to it that morning. But in that state of anxious confusion, it felt as though it took ten times as long. I tried to hide it, to mask the fear behind an expression of calm. You seemed so happy, so relaxed. I wanted to be happy too, for you. I did a pretty good job of pretending I guess. At least, you didn't seem to notice. But inside, I was going crazy.

No one spoke a word on the drive back. The silence seemed to hang in the air, like a stifling fog. I didn't dare to look back at him again after that first time, although a part of me desperately wanted to. I wondered what he was doing there in the seat behind me. Was he staring at me, smiling that menacing smile? Or was he just staring innocently out the side window as he had been when I'd looked back before? What was he was thinking, planning? As each new question popped into my head, I would tell myself that I was just an idiot with an overactive imagination, but I never really believed it.

You were more in my line of sight and I took advantage of that. When I looked at you, I felt comforted. At the beginning, I hadn't trusted you at all. You were the enemy, the psychotic killer out to do me harm. When I'd finally let you in however, let myself see and hear and feel what was there instead of imagining what I'd wanted to believe was there…then I'd finally found you. Perhaps that was what I was doing this time. Perhaps... Difficult as it was, I knew that only time would tell.

It was a relief when we finally arrived back. You leapt out of the car and walked around the back so that you could give him a hand. I got out more slowly, turning around in time to see his face twisted up in an expression of pain as you held his left arm and helped him down from the back seat.

"Gem, could you run in and put the kettle on so we can have some tea?" You asked hurriedly, as you took his left arm and put it around the back of your neck.

"Sure." It was the first word I'd said for over an hour and my mouth felt dry. I walked on ahead into the kitchen and the two of you limped in behind me. When we arrived inside, I filled the kettle and put it on the stove to boil, as you helped him down into a chair at the kitchen table.

"Nice place you got here Ty," he said, taking in the room.

"It took a long time to build," you replied, taking a seat next to him. "But it was worth it, to have it all ready for Gem."

I was still leaning against the bench as you said that. Instantly I began to panic inside, you'd said too much. I'm sure that the panic was visible there in my eyes but you didn't seem to notice…only he did. He didn't say anything, but a tiny smile played upon his lips as he looked at me. I couldn't understand what it was about this man that made you so unguarded. You'd known him so long ago. Whatever it was, I had to be careful to ensure he didn't put all the pieces together as to how I got there. Otherwise, everything could come undone.

When the kettle had boiled, I poured out three cups of tea and then sat down at the table with the two of you, across from you both. When I glanced over at you I saw that you were smiling happily at me. Your blue eyes were glowing with warmth again. It made me smile, it always did. But then I remembered the stranger sitting next to you. I glanced over at him. He was smiling too, but it looked more like a smirk to me. My skin crawled and my eyes impulsively dropped down to where my tea sat, steaming away. I picked up the cup of boiling water and wrapping my hands around it, lifted it to my lips to take a sip.

Tea time was over rather quickly. I was thankful for that. I didn't know how much longer I could handle sitting there across from him. I quickly determined that having him there, right in my line of sight was even more uncomfortable than having him out of view, despite what I'd thought earlier.

You got up from your chair and knelt down beside him so you could have a closer look at his wound. You touched it with the very tips of your fingers and when you rose again and turned to face me, I could see the blood, stained upon them.

"Gem, could you help Ray down to the spare room so he can take a lie down. I'll grab some bandages so I can fix that leg up."

I didn't want to do it. I guess that's obvious enough from the thoughts and feelings I've explained to you. Feeling the heat of those dark eyes upon me only added to my feelings. But it was a simple enough request and you'd asked me to do it. So, crossing the room to where he sat, I reached out and let him take my hand in his. His hand was even larger and rougher than yours, and the pressure upon my hand as he used it to guide his weight up off the chair made my wrist ache.

You turned and walked away to gather the necessary medical implements while he put his arm around me. I had my back to his chest, and I could feel his hot, heavy breath upon the back of my neck. I walked as briskly down the hallway as I could with him limping along beside me.

When we reached the doorway of our bedroom, I felt him turn to enter.

"No, that's our room, the spare is further down the hallway," I said quickly.

He stopped, and turning to look down at me, grinned and gave me a quick wink "Sorry Darl." I tried to suppress a shudder and turning away again, kept walking.

When we reached the room, I directed him in and helped him to sit down on the bed. Then I turned and left the room. I met you in the hallway just a little further up. Your right hand was cradling an assortment of bottles, bandages and other various implements. But you cupped my right shoulder in your left hand and leaned in to plant a small kiss on my forehead.

"Thank you," you said simply.

I smiled a small smile back, and then continued on up the hallway. When I'd taken a few more steps back towards the kitchen, I turned to look back at you but you weren't there. You'd gone to attend to him.

The house was completely silent. We'd only been home for a couple of hours. You'd left an hour ago to go and fiddle with the pipes over in the Separates. I'd asked to come, but you'd insisted that I stay at the house, in case he needed anything. I'd spent the duration of the time out in the kitchen and in the living room but after an hour, I needed to use the bathroom. The bathroom was past the spare room, and I didn't really want to go near that room if I could help it. I toyed with the idea of going outside, but the thought of you catching me in the act put me off that idea. Even putting aside how embarrassing that would be, the thought of having to explain to you why I'd gone outside would most probably upset you and make me out to be an irrational fool. So, I decided to bite the bullet and walk down to the bathroom.

I crept down the hallway, holding my breath, trying not to make a sound. Don't ask me why, it wasn't as though he didn't know I was there. In my mind though, I desperately wanted to avoid him noticing me pass.

"Hey Lady!"

I stopped dead. It occurred to me that he was probably calling me, after all, who else could he be talking to? But it took me a moment to turn around and take a few steps back to the dark doorway I'd been trying so desperately to avoid. He must have been waiting for me, I'd been so quiet.

The room was almost pitch black. You'd drawn the curtains across the windows, thick curtains that even that intense desert sun couldn't get through. I could see his silhouette though, as he wiggled in the bed. He could see me much more clearly, basked in the bright sunlight which shone down the hallway at that time of day. Once again I found myself in the weaker position and I hated it. I reached to turn on the light.

"No don't turn on the light Darl, just come over here." His voice had a sinister sounding tone. My skin crawled and my body tensed. My finger was still hovering over the light-switch, frozen in place.

"What do you want?" I asked. The question came out sounding a little aggressive. I was trying so desperately not to sound frightened. I wasn't going to let him feel in control of the situation.

"I need you to change my bandages for me, they're all rotten." He replied with the same tone, although perhaps a little less confidently. I don't think he'd expected me to respond to his invitation the way that I did.

"Ty only just did them a couple of hours ago," I said.

"They need doing again," he replied.

"Well I need to be able to see what I'm doing" I stated, after a moment's pause. I wasn't keen on the idea of getting that close to him, but it was an excuse to turn the light on, which made me feel a bit better.

He covered his eyes as I turned it on, the light blinding him momentarily. That made me feel a bit better too. I didn't feel at quite such a disadvantage now.

Taking a few steps over to the side of the bed, I cautiously held the corners of the blanket and sheet together between my right thumb and index finger and slowly pulled them away from him to reveal the tops of his legs.

The wound wasn't what I would call rotten, but the blood had seeped through and stained the bandages. I wondered how long the bleeding would take to slow down.

"I think you might have to get Ty to change them, I don't really have any idea about dressing wounds," I said, my eyes flicking up to his.

He seemed very calm, it was dissettling. He continued to hold my gaze, even as I turned to look at the end of the bed. "Who knows how long he'll take to get back, you can do it Darl, it ain't hard."

I heard the whine of the kitchen door as you lifted it at that moment and thanked God for your timing. "That's him now," I said. "I'll tell him you want them changed."

I smiled a triumphant smile at him and his eyes seemed to darken. I'd won that round it seemed. I wondered how many more there would be. I turned and walked away into the kitchen, without looking back.