Chapter 6: Forgive Don't Forget
Jace was able to walk away after being prescribed some special pills. Being that he is such an active member in society and also a very big donator to the city. The judge basically slapped his wrist and made him pay for all Tris's medical bills. Killian was pist off for a few days but they just went on with their lives. Jace and his friends were still working in town and was told if he keeps harassing Tris than a restraining order would have to take affect and he would need to relocate. Aria's visit was quick but very well needed. Tris and the girls made sure to have a girls evening and made sure to make time for Killian. Everything felt like a close family. Killian couldn't wait to marry the amazing woman in front of him and be like this for the rest of his life.
"Hey man so when's the big day going to be?" Hunter asked with a big smile. As the guys were cleaning up around them getting ready to close up shop. "My baby wants a nice fall wedding with the leaves all falling and different colors, I honestly can't think of nothing prettier. It was either that or a winter one and fall is a little more warm. She wants it to be outside. I like that idea too. So maybe October 11th. It's a Saturday I think. That work alright with you guys?" He said looking around. They all nodded their heads smiling deeply. "That's exciting man. How pumped are you seeing as it's only about almost few months away?" Eli asked. "I honestly can't wait I kind wish it was sooner." He said smiling wide and deep.
"Dibs on best man!" Ryder hollered. "AWE!!" YOU suck bro!" The men all groaning around them. "What it only makes sense, my woman's the maid of honor and I am simply the best. I dare one of you try to walk her down the aisle in my place." He warned in a growl. "Fine." Was mumbled all the way around. "So who is your wedding party anyway?" Zain asked. "Well that's just the thing Tris wants to keep it simple so we got Ellie as the maid of honor, and then we got Aria and her friends as the bridesmaids they were so excited and wanted to be included she didn't have the heart to say no so we got Lexy, Ari, Callie, Rylie, and Maddie. There are four of you guys so Aria is going to walk out first and I'm going to walk with her. From the side and you guys can grab the other girls in any order you see fit. Their dads are all on board and are excited to see all the single ladies up at the reception." He said shaking his head as the guy's laughed and agreed.
"Yeah they'll be a lot too. I'm so ready for that party." Nate said smiling big. "So they may look we know you don't like strippers and we know you probably lose your shit if you find out Tris got one. Which we all know would make her uncomfortable. So we were thinking instead of having the bachelor and bachelorette parties separate we could just combine them together and have a big party. We thought maybe you two would be more comfortable with that and we could all just go dancing at some club. She could still have the bridal shower from work and all that but the fun party would be all together what do you think?" Ryder asked his best friend. "I think that sounds fun as hell, who's idea was it?" He asked happy his heart doesn't' have to worry about Tris having a wild party without him.
"MINE! That's why I am the best man." Ryder said making everyone laugh hard. "Well I'll run it by her but I think she'll love it just make sure to plan it on a weekend where Aria isn't visiting. Tris will not give up time to see her little girl for dancing at a club you all know that." He said smiling loving the fact Tris loves his baby girl so much. His heart couldn't be any more full if it tried. He never felt more complete in his life than he did when he was with his girls and his brothers. Taking a deep breath he was so grateful and happy and even impressed the guys were trying to help plan his wedding being the first of them to get actually even engaged, they were having fun with it. Talking flowers, colors, venues. He was beyond thankful to have this support system, hell they even found her for him. Life was good.
Tris was taking a deep breath after a long hard shift. There was nothing but a long list of patients who had to get bad news today. Starting with one with stage one cancer, all the way down to having to tell a man he had an STD and had to tell his girlfriend he cheated on her with another man while he was drunk when he was working out of town. To telling another couple that they were pregnant because the boyfriend's vasectomy did not take. It was a long day that drained her completely she couldn't wait to get home with her favorite Chinese take a nice shower and cuddle up to her man. After she got the food she texted him to let her know what she got and she was on her way. When she saw him.
He was standing there looking bored as a pretty young woman was trying to talk to him running her hand along his arm as he tried to shrug her off, until he looked up and smiled brightly. "Tris! Tris wait, please." He shouted as she tried to turn around and walk away getting upset to see him a little bit, why couldn't he just turn around back to the woman who was showing no shame in trying to get his attention. He got in front of her as the other woman kept up to him and glared at Tris. "What do you want Jace?" She asked taking a step back. Keeping a good amount of distance between them, making the girl smirk in smugness as she took a step closer to Jace.
"I wanted to come and tell you how sorry I am about everything that I have done to you." He said with tears in his eyes. "I can never forgive myself for it and I don't expect you to either, even though I hope you will. I know I don't deserve it. It was wrong, it was cruel, and I can't believe I did that to you. You know me and that wasn't me. I swear I didn't intend anything that happened and I just want to make it right between us. It is a small town and I know I don't deserve to even ask you but can we at least if nothing else be friends. Why are you still here Sara? This is kind of private discussion do you mind?" He snapped at the woman who was still trying to curl up next to him as he was trying to talk to Tris. "Oh well I was hoping we could actually go to dinner?" She purred out to him.. "No. I'm busy. Have a great night." He said to her in a rude tone. Getting mad she turned and walked away.
"Uh sorry anyway. Please do you think we could get passed every horrible thing I have caused and try to befriends or civil or anything I mean there will be times we will have to see a lot of each other and I hate that things are this bad between us please tell me anything I got to do. To make things at least ok." He said tears falling off his face. "You hurt me beyond words Jace. I don't know if it can be that easy. I understand where you're coming from and what you mean I just don't know if I trust you. I'm uncomfortable being around you." She said taking another step back.
"I'll do anything Tris, baby please." He said pleading out. "Anything? Ok if you can convince my fiancé that this is a good idea and that my safety won't be a concern than I will believe you. Until than you need to keep your distance Jace." She said as she turned and started to walk away. "I'll do it." She heard him yell. Stopping and turning around to see him smirking wickedly at her she just shook her head. "We'll see." She hollered back. Getting in her car and driving home.
It was Friday and the guys were getting ready to close up shop as Ellie and Tris went to the gym for a quick workout the guys were laughing and getting ready to head back to Killian's house for poker night when three men stood in front of him. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Killian asked getting angry. "We told him it was bad idea." Bryce said. "Aint no one come here to fight with any of you guys we come in peace." Travis said with his hands up. "It aint you we got problems with." Ryder snapped back. All the guys looking at Jace. "I didn't come here to fight or start shit with you I came here because of Tris. Didn't she tell you?" He asked him looking confused at Killian.
"What exactly she supposed to tell me?" He mouthed back to him in a mad tone. "I ran into her three days ago. We talked and I told her I would do anything to try to at least be friends or civil because we have to work together and see each other a lot in our line of work and I don't want her to be scared of me whenever I am around. She said I had to come and convince you that her safety wouldn't be an issue around me and then she would think about it. So here I am." Jace said shrugging his shoulders.
"You honestly thought you coming up to talk to me after all the shit and hurt you have done to Tris will make me tell her she's safe around you? I only been around you twice dude and know that's a flat out lie." Killian said chuckling at him in mockery shaking his running his hand down his jaw. "I know there is nothing I can say or do to make up for what happened with her. I am on new medication and therapy to make sure nothing like that happened with her again. I know no matter how much I don't want her to be, there is no way to prove myself of it. But I don't want her to be scared in her work place if I have to be around. I don't want her to get anxious or nervous or be too weird. I just want her to be ok around me and rather you like it or not you know there are going to be times when she has to be around me, but she won't just be around me. These guys here are always with me. So she will never have to worry about being alone with me. SO that should be at least a step in the right direction. I will maintain space from her, and these guys and others will be around. I don't know what else I can do to help manage the situation. You know as well as I do there's no other ways around this and I know you want to make sure she feels safe and comfortable at work too, so if you got a better idea about to make this work feel free to fill me in." Jace said sarcastically while still proving a point.
"I got a great way. You can go back to where ever the fuck you came from or left her for. Boy I am not stupid I know you have to work around while you here it's a small ass town aint much around all that. You don't have to be here though. You signed on for whatever cases you doing you can just as easily sign them over to someone else. There is no way in hell I will tell her I am comfortable with you being around her. I don't have a problem with you boys but I don't know you either. Other than you trying to pry him off her on the first attack. The fact that I can number attacks you even made on her says more than I really need to don't you think. Whatever trust she had in you bro, you shattered that. Aint nothing I can do piece that together for you nor would I want to. I don't trust you, hell I can't even respect you. Just looking at you, you know just pisses both of us off. There is nothing you can do to convince any of us that you won't harm her again. You got some real balls though trying to step up to me and try to prove otherwise with no real proof. There is no guarantee you won't slip and harm again and will never gamble my woman's safety , no way in hell dude especially after what you did last time. So no. Morgan I will not tell her it's ok for me to have her around you." Killian said as he was face to face and about three inches from being foot to foot to him. Starring him straight in the eye.
He could tell he was quietly seething, pist as hell. He was not sure what exactly he expected coming up to the one man who probably hated him more than any one on the planet besides the woman he was obsessively in love with still. "So you won't even put her comfort ahead of your own insecurities?" Jace smirked at him. "I'm putting her safety ahead of everything. You twisted as shit and once a man put's his hands on a woman he is no longer a man. Once men like you, you get that obsession type thing going it gets easier to snap and keep hurting the female you psycho for. We know how your type work around here; we may be backwoods out there but we damn sure aint dumb. You will fuck up with her again in the future it's just a matter of time before she say something that triggers you off, and I have to whoop your ass again I swear to you that will be the last time you ever get near my fiancé again." Killian said as he took a couple of steps backwards to his brothers behind him who slightly smirked at him too.
It was taking everything in him not to throttle the man in front of him in anger. "The hell you mean fiancé. Aint no way in hell my Tris will actually marry your sorry ass. If she agreed to anything to you it's only to get even with me or punish me. She won't actually go through with it. You can think and plan all you want there bud but it will never actually happen. Besides it wasn't that long ago she was planning her future with me. The wedding, the honey moon, not to mention filling the house we had full of kids. Yup we going to make sure we had a big family. You really think she is going to follow through with you when she can do so easily with me still. She will eventually see me as the better man and start to pull away from you and make her way back home to my bed where she belongs. Enjoy your time now, it won't last too long." Jace smirked as he walked off with his friends, as Ryder secretly had ahold of Killian's belt loop holding him back.
"Naw man let go it's ok." He said to Ryder. "Would that be the same bed you left her in, until she made herself at home to mine every night? The same bed you crawl into alone because you she up and left so you couldn't even find her to begin with, while you were looking for better things. What makes you so sure she wants to go running back to your bed after we all made her question just who else could have been in it all this time? We both know if she thinks others have been there she will never go back. So yeah I will plan and get ready for our wedding because just like she said you were right about one thing she did find better things when she high tailed and left town just like you did, when you left without her. All broken, with no real place to go until she got herself a real man. Drive safe gentlemen. My baby probably waiting in the shower for me as we speak now." He smirked walking away with his friends as Jace body shook in anger.
Walking through the door he could smell homemade fried chicken. "Damn baby that smells good as hell. What you doing in here. "I fried some chicken breast up cut up some veggies and got hamburger buns, we making fried chicken sandwiches, and homemade French fries because I want to get fat and I'm lazy." She said rubbing his arm that wrapped around her waist, kissing his cheek. "Perfect. This sounds great after today." He said grabbing some plates. "Awe did my baby have a bad day?" She cooed to him. "NO it was great until your psycho ex popped up as soon as we locked up and was headed out. "He did what, is that why you a little late today. Honey I'm so sorry. He came up to me the other day talking a bunch of crap I just didn't even want to hear and hate to say he was even making a couple of good points. I just told him if he needed that kind of crap from me he had to go settle that with you. I didn't think he would actually do it, are mad I'm sorry." He cut her off.
"Baby, it's fine. I am sorry you had to deal with him. I am not mad you told him to come to me. I am proud that you feel that safe to run to me though. I want you to feel like you can put me in your problems Tris. If we going to be married than dealing with psycho crazy ex's is our problem not yours. You are not alone; I don't want you to feel like I won't help you from him. I heard him out he made very few good points but like I told him. I don't respect or trust his sorry ass. Them type of boys baby, once they get that worked up and twisted for someone and after they have hurt them it's just too easy for them boys to keep doing it. While he was hurting you, I bet you couldn't even see the Jace you knew in those different set of eyes that were looking back at you could you. That aint the same man you knew honey. It's been over a year for you both he is changed." Taking a deep breath he continued.
I want to you to be safe at protected at work I don't trust him to be able to be that way with you. So just promise me if he has to be in the same places you are. There are other people around and cameras, and you are never alone with him. God only knows what he'll do next time you say something to piss him off. He is a big boy honey I just need you to be safe, you have no idea what you mean to me Tris. I can't be without you and I won't." Killian said the whole time with her hands over his heart and chest wrapped in his hands as he pulled her in cupping her cheek smashing his lips to hers, needing to feel her and taste her, have her close to him knowing she is ok away from that man. "Ok baby I promise I don't know him anymore especially if he was able to do all that to me so quickly out of nowhere. I can't help but feel scared of him. I've never been scared of anyone even when I got bullied. I don't like the feeling. I am sorry I keep running to you about it I don't want to burden you." She said looking down and talking in a sad tone. He cut her off.
He lifted her chin up to look him in his eyes to make she he is understood. "You are or will you ever be a burden to me do you understand? You are to always run straight to me head on feet blazing to me and only to me for the rest of our lives do you understand me baby. I am your man. You are mine. ONLY MINE." He growled that last part out as he placed a light kiss on each side of her neck that set her body a blazed. "I got you baby. I will always have your back, with open arms ready to swing for you when you come running to daddy." He said in that dark tone that made her legs shake in weakness. "Now let's hurry up and feed you so I can get straight to my dessert he said as he ran his fingers lightly passed her core feeling the wetness that starting to puddle through her. She could only nod to him getting his plate ready. Than to enjoy there sleepless night.
Ellie was getting ready to get into her car as she just finished putting gas in her car to head to work when he popped up. "What the fuck do you want you have a shit ton of nerve coming anywhere near after all the shit you done." She snapped at him trying not beat the hell out of him. "I know. I know I have so much to make up for, I don't even know how or where to even begin or start. I just want to talk to you to ask you for some help." Jace said as he lifted his hands up in surrender. 'Why the fuck do you think I would help you?" She shrieked out. "Because deep down you want what's bests for Tris and so do I. I don't want her to come to work and be scared of me. I want her to be safe and comfortable. I don't want her to feel like she has to be on alert around me all the time. You know how mental health works. I got help. I am and will continue to do so. I will not let her be alone with me and I will keep space between us whenever we are near. Just please talk to her and let her know she will be ok, around me. You both know me, and that man wasn't me.' Taking a deep breath looking at her.
"You know I would never do that to her if I was in sound state of mind which I am now. I never knew I even had a problem as a nurse you guys see this all the time. Just please you both know this better than anyone help her see I know how I was wrong but also to help give me a chance to prove it won't happen again. Help her give me a chance to atone for what I've done at least. As medical professionals we know how things like this can go. I am being treated and I am cleared for work, I love her Ells and you know I do more than anything I will not repeat any of the mistakes I made whether I was aware I was doing them or not they will not happen again. Please Ellis don't do this for me, but for her. Even you know deep down she doesn't want it to be like this for us. Any of us. There was never any one after her, you really think my heart can handle any more of what I did to her. It can't." Jace said with his crocodile tears.
"I'll think about it. That's all you will get out of me. Now get the hell away from me before I change my mind and run you down." She said as she shoved him away. "I would deserve it." He said sadly walking away turning the corner with a smirk. Man it was too easy when he was able to use common day cases from their line of work. This may be easier than he thought. It's just too simple to get under that fuck boys skin and her best friend now the fun part is too sit back and watch them hash it out over who could be right the medical nurses who sees this stuff every day or the insecure boyfriend. After watching families fight like this for years he had no problem picking up on a few little guilt ridden tips. Now to wait before he makes another pop in plead for forgiveness.
"It was Saturday night they were out having dinner with the guys and Ellie at a BBQ place eating outside in a secluded part of the restaurant where they never saw Jace in the corner watching waiting for things to unfold he had been watching her for a while now waiting to see what happens. Ellie looking at her drink. "Ells, seriously what's up with you?" Tris asked while the guys were deep in an argument about some football players they were in the center of the group of men.
"Jace came up and talked to me the other day. He made some pretty good points and I have been wanting to talk to you about maybe forgiving him. Forgiving though Tris not forgetting. I didn't know how to bring it up though." Ellie said making the whole table go quiet. "What the hell did you just say?" Hunter asked in shock. Putting up her hand to calm the boys down. "Hear what she has to say first guys." Tris said nodding for Ellie to go on.
"In our professional field we know better than anyone that sometime mental health signs can be harder to be seen. We both know what can happen when it's not treated hell we've seen firsthand on you. We also have seen thousands of people who once gotten treatment and who have stayed getting help go one like they always have before. Maybe it wasn't Jace fault he didn't know he had some deeper issues. That's doesn't excuse what happened with you. Maybe though Tris, maybe you need to give him a chance to actually make up for it. We all have to work together at some point and do you really want people to make a big deal about it every single time you two are in the same room. You know damn well if you get awkward about it other people will go out of their way to make it bad for everyone around. shouldn't we be trying to avoid it if possible?" She said placing her hand on top of Tris.
"For your own good you have to move on past this. You can't let this rule and consume you. This was a few times something really bad happened to you and now you are stronger. You know the truth about why it happened. You remember how you used to tell us forgiveness was a super power not everyone was able to obtain. How important it is to forgive someone not for them but for you. Otherwise they will always have a certain power over you, a part of control you can never get back until you take it back. Well take it back Tris. Forgive him for the things he may not have been able to control in the first place but do not forget what he is capable of. You don't' have to trust him, don't be alone with him, don't go out of your way to speak to him or have any connection with him ever again just forgive him so you both can do his job and get the hell out of town and out of our lives." Ellie said looking her dead in the eyes.
"So you want her to just let it go? Just like that?" Ryder asked in shock. "I want her to rise above it. Let it go to move on but keeping in mind that doesn't mean to not be cautious of him. She needs to forgive him. Also she needs to have a backup plan with Killian if anything every goes wrong again to have a plan set in motion just in case. Killian you need to be ok with her forgiving him and you need to let it go to. The only way to do that is to start training her how to defend herself. How to be properly prepared to hold her own until help or you can get there. I would also suggest maybe we take some taser gun and hand gun courses at the range and get our permits so we both can defend ourselves if anything that crazy ever happens again." Ellie said taking a drink than placing it down. "You're crazy." Eli said shaking his head in disbelief.
"You're right." Tris said nodding in agreement and looking at Killian who was just staring at her blankly. "She's right." Killian agreed. "About all of it. Baby if you forgive him that is your choice. I do want you to learn some self-defense things with me. Ryder and I got a friend down at the range and we can get a discount and the best for you girls. I will always be right here for you supporting you in whatever you need and how you need it as long as we can meet half in the middle. I know that big ol' heart of yours can only hold back for so long anyway. You are not the type of person to hold out of fear or anger anyway for long. Besides you always taught me don't let fear hold you back use to help push you forward do things because you are scared of them that's what makes us brave, and that's what keeps us alive." Killian said to her kissing her head.
Ryder kissed Ellie's head they all know that she meant well. They all knew she wasn't happy about saying all of it either but she had to bring the realistic side to view after so long. Everyone was happy about it except Jace. It wasn't supposed to go down like that. Killian was not supposed to be sensible. Ellie was not supposed to be so flexible in the argument she shouldn't have brought up the not forgetting it part or self-defense guns classes. What the hell just happened. In all his years in this line of work he never had group of people work through a sensitive topic like this so calmly and rationally. All he needed to really do now was just show how perfect they are together and how easy it could all be again. Killian already has a kid he couldn't possibly want to go back starting from the ground up again. Maybe he could work on that. Maybe he could use the girl to turn this around in his favor, things are starting to look up again.