mid_nite_green | (no subject)

(no subject)

They hadn't even opened the door when she showed. She'd brought notes home, surveillance tapes, whatever she could think of to show that Christie was now different. She said she'd do whatever she could to bring her little sister home. All it did was make Mom cry more. Dad was silent the whole time. She'd plead with him, but, ultimately he was the one that shut the door and locked it.

At least she was disowned with some support. Sand had driven and as much as she loved cars, Tara was glad he had.

That's why when she hears her phone play "Born to Run," in the middle of her homework two weeks after everything, she dives for it.

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She sighs. "Good question," she notes soberly. "I can't be there nor the cops all the time. I wouldn't let her in the door. Maybe I can ask Sand for something like those Life Buzz things where you can fall and someone else will come get you back up." There's a grim humor to her voice.

"Christie isn't Christie anymore. That's the big thing." There's a sigh. "Maybe I'm not as much 'Tara,' anymore. I think that might be what happened out there. I mean, I wear a mask and all that but I think after two years some people are putting it together. Sucks, I know."

Mark's not surprised to hear they have security stuff like that, but it's still weird to be someone who needs it. He's trying to think about it like Tara is his sister, and she's protecting her family, and not that his family is suddenly under 'hero' protection.

But the guys is special forces have to live a lot like that, don't they? That's a lot easier to think about it, and he just wishes maybe his parents would. "It's your job," he says matter-of-factly. "The guys in special forces and secret stuff have that same problem, right? It's not your fault."

She snorts. "And Uncle Louie." That would be the uncle that's actually more like a cousin that never gets invited to family reunions because he's suspected of having another "family."

"They do - and thanks for saying so, but it is. They wouldn't have wanted Christie's little schemes if she wasn't our little sister. I she hated me so much during that fight."

"Tara," he says solidly. There's a purposeful beat to make sure she's listening. "You don't live here. I'm not saying you're not still family, but this isn't the place you call 'home' anymore even if it used to be. Your home is wherever you're needed, that's the job you took and makes you feel full at night, and I get that. I know you know more about that place than I do.

"So trust me when I say I know what's been 'home' in your absence. You were a convenient excuse. Christie hated a lot of things, but she didn't have the gall to work it better for herself. If it hadn't been you, it'd be me. I could have a lot of gripes, too, but you don't see me running away and doing stuff that could kill people. Let's forget the stuff mom and dad tell themselves about this. I love her, too, Tara, but this is her call, and she's dead wrong."

Ouch.

There's a long pause at the end of that, but Mark can hear her breathing on the other end.

"Thanks, Mark...really."

Mark chuckles mostly at himself. Sometimes it's scary how easy it is for him to sound like a grown-up. "Hey, even us C+ averages know a smart thing or two."

"You know you can do better than that - and the teachers know it." Back to big sister mode.

It damn scary how much he's grown.

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