*The Music Of Love* By: JJ

Prologue

"Wow! Who is she?" He asked himself, watching her from the other side of the road as she headed towards the apartment building.

She punched in her passcode and struggled through the doors with two large holdalls. He had never seen her at the building before today so she was obviously a new tenant Or was she?

He thought for a moment then realised she couldn't be a new tenant as the only apartment that was empty was the one below his. Even though it had been devoid of human habitation since he moved in, he had heard someone in there recently and one of the other tenants had told him that the woman who had lived there a couple of years ago had left to work abroad, but had asked someone to look after her apartment while she was away.

He nodded as he remembered the middle-aged woman he'd seen leaving a couple of days ago. Was she the one that had been asked to look after the place? Was this new woman the one that lived there? Did she live there alone or did she have a boyfriend? He hoped not. He was interested in her just from the fleeting glance he'd seen of her. Would she even be interested in him though?

He decided to be a gentleman and go and offer his help with her bags if he could manage to catch up with her in time. He ran across the road as soon as there was a break in the traffic. Quickly made his way into the building, shook his head at the sign on the lift and laughed as he heard her cursing her way up the stairwell.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Tamara exclaimed as she dropped the two large holdalls she was carrying to the floor. She sighed as she translated the sign.

"Out of use, please use the stairs. Aaaargh! Two years I've been away and the damned thing still doesn't work properly."

She blew out a long breath as she picked up the holdalls again and made her way to the stairwell. Shaking her head she began to make her way up to the third floor. She huffed and mumbled something uncomprehendible under her breath as she reached the first floor landing. Pausing to catch her breath she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. The sound of the unfamiliar voice in front of her made her startle.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you jump. I was just wondering if you would like some help with those." Offered the stranger who stood smiling in front of her.

"Noooo." She replied sarcastically. "I want to struggle up the next two fli......" She paused and huffed a breath. "Sorry. Thank you. Yes, I would really appreciate some help. I'm going to the third floor." She smiled in reply. "Careful. That's the heaviest one." She informed him as he picked up one of the holdalls and threw it over his shoulder.

She grunted a small laugh as he almost lost his balance and stumbled backwards slightly.

"Have you got everything you own in here? Because it feels like you have." He asked as he started to climb the stairs in front of her.

"No, only half. The other half's in here." Tamara replied as she slung the other holdall over her shoulder and followed after him.

She shrugged and huffed a laugh as he turned to face her. She pursed her lips and felt herself redden as he smiled at her again.

"Oh! What now?" she asked as she heard her new mobile's ringtone.

They both stopped climbing as she removed the phone from her pocket and answered the call.

"Hi Arry. What's up?"

"Yeah, I'm almost there."

"The bloody lift is broken, that's why."

"Ooooh, you are so not funny." she said as she shook her head and narrowed her eyes at the mobile.

"Tonight?!! I really wanted to........."

"Ok, ok, but you bring the wine."

"A red, but make sure it's a good one."

"Ok bring them too."

"Two...no make it three. You know what Sue is like." she giggled.

"Half past seven."

"Later babe."

"Bye."

She closed the phone, returned it to her pocket and rolled her eyes into her head as she and the man began to climb once more. She smiled at him then looked at him quizically as he glanced at her with a seemingly disappointed look on his face.

"Here we are, the third floor." The man informed as he politely held the stairwell door open for her.

"Thanks. My apartment is that one." She said as she nodded to the door almost opposite the stairwell.

She unlocked the door and threw the bag she was carrying into the hallway.

"I'd offer you a drink, but I don't have anything in at the moment." she smiled as she took the second bag from the man and tucked the length of hair that had worked its way lose from her ponytail back behind her ear.

"That's ok. I err...I really have to be going anyway." He replied as he checked the time. "Maybe some other time. I live just above you." He informed her as he disappeared back through the stairwell door.

________


He sighed heavily as he made his way slowly back down the stairs. So she did have boyfriend. Typical and just his luck yet again. Why was it always like that? Every woman he had been interested in just lately was either married or with someone and serious about them or just wasn't interested in men at all.

"Stupid." He huffed to himself.

He should have known she had a boyfriend. How could a girl that looked like that not have someone special in her life? She obviously wasn't alone, not like him. He thought for a minute and quickly calculated. He shook his head as he realised how long it was. Yes, he had his three brothers for company, but even they had had good relationships with women until a few months ago. He'd had nothing.

He'd had no-one to talk on the phone at night once they'd finished their performance for the evening on their recent tour. No-one to take out to dinner or to watch a movie with. No-one to hold hands with if he decided to just go for walk. No-one to make love to or just to cuddle with at nightime. It wasn't fair. Everyone he knew said he was nice guy and there was someone out there waiting for him. If that was true, where was she? She certainly hadn't appeared while he travelled the world.

"I must have done something really bad in a previous life." He mumbled to himself.

Yes, a lot of women had thrown themselves at him and he had even dated a few for a short while, but he instantly knew they weren't really interested in him for himself. They were only interested in the fame being with him could bring them and he had ended those relationships pretty quickly. Why couldn't he find that special lady and keep her forever? That was all he wanted. A woman that loved him, marriage maybe and, hopefully, children. Not necessarily in that order of course, he just wanted those things and he wanted them before he got much older. He was in his thirties after all. Were these things really to much to ask out of life?

He kicked the door open and tried to sniff back the tears that were threatening to make their escape. He looked up to her balcony and shook his head as he wondered if she even knew who he was, she certainly hadn't let on if she did. He swallowed hard and quickly wiped his eyes as he heard one of his new friends shouting at him to hurry up.

"Oh my God! Wow! Where did he come from?" Tamara asked herself. "What a smile. Phwoar!" She shivered as she closed her apartment door and leaned against it while she surveyed her home. She had known the men who lived above her in the small block of apartments two years ago. The new guy said he lived there now. So that would mean Luc had moved out and he had moved in, unless he was Luc's new man.

"Ooooh I hope not, that would be such a waste. Probably got a girlfriend anyway. With looks like that and those lovely manners he's bound to have. Oh well." She shrugged to herself as she stepped into her kitchen. Still as neat and tidy as she had left it.

"Mother, mother, mother." she sighed and shook her head as she opened the refrigerator door and saw that it was packed with all of her favourite foods.

A homemade quiche, plenty of salad vegetables, her favourite orange juice, plain and flavoured yoghurts, various cheeses, white wine, garlic sausage and the other meats she enjoyed and.......

"Oooooh lovely!" she exclaimed as she licked her lips and rubbed her hands together. "My favourite." she oozed as she removed the large pot of strawberries. She popped one into her mouth and savoured the sweetness. She carried the pot with her as she re-acquainted herself with her apartment.

She made her way across the hallway and into the lilac bedroom she had last slept in two years before and shook her head again as she noticed that her mother had sent Ethel over to make up the bed for her.

"I knew I should have kept my mouth shut." she exclaimed as she made her way over to the bedroom window and opened it as far as it would go. She breathed in deep as she felt the cool breeze hit her face. She loved the smell of the city at this time of year. Spring was on the wane and Summer was almost there. The weather wasn't cold, but it wasn't hot either. Not like where she had spent the last two years. That place was hot with a capital H, even when it rained, which it did at least once a day.

She hummed a silly little tune to herself as she made her way out of the bedroom and back up the hallway a little to the bathroom. The scent of lemon hit her and she shook her head once more. She smiled again as she saw the new set of towels neatly arranged in the rack at the side of the shower. She looked at her face in the mirror, paying particular attention to the nose. She left the bathroom, turned left and made her way down to the huge lounge.

She walked straight across to the doors that gave access to the balcony, opened them wide and secured them so that they stayed open. She turned and surveyed the room. The three freshly cleaned cream leather sofas still stood around the huge glass coffee table. She sniffed and smiled once more as she saw the vase full of her favourite roses sitting in the middle of it. She picked up the card and read what it said.

"Welcome home darling. Hope to see you very soon. Love. Mum and Dad. XX"

Pursing her lips together she swallowed hard as she saw his photograph still in its frame, prominently displayed on the shelf above the fire. She turned the fire on, reached for the photograph, removed it from the frame, tore it up and threw the pieces into the flames.

"Goodbye and good riddance." she whispered as the flames engulfed the last piece of the picture. She shook her head and allowed a tear to fall as she recalled what had happened just over two years before.

She huffed as she turned the fire off and moved over to the piano that sat to the left of the balcony doors. She sat down, lifted the keyboard cover and began playing.

"Urgh!!" she vocalised as she hit several keys in quick succession. "Ok, sounds like I need to call Eric and get you re-tuned." she said as she dropped the cover and patted the top of the instrument twice.

She looked over her shoulder and smiled as she saw her guitars.
"Let's see how you sound." she said as she picked the acoustic guitar up and rested it on her knee. "Not too bad.....just....." she said as she strummed through the scale and twiddled the tuning pegs. "That's better. Let's try....." she breathed deep as she launched into an acoustic version of Bon Jovi's 'Bed of Roses'

"Ok Tam. A nap, then a shower, something to eat, then some fun with the girls." she said to herself as she returned the guitar to its stand

"Hey!" His friend shouted for the third time as he watched him stand in front of the microphone staring into nothingness for the fourth time that afternoon. "Hello!" He continued as he waved his hand in front of his face. "Looks the lights are on but no-one is home."

"Huh?" He queried as he snatched his head round to face him.

"What the hell is wrong with you today? You keep drifting off into outer space. We'll never get the album finished at this rate." His friend complained.

"Oh nothing." He sighed as he removed his earphones and hung them around his neck.

"Oh really?" His friend replied sarcastically. "You could have fooled me."

"It's just that I finally saw the girl who lives in the apartment below mine this morning."

"What do you mean 'finally'? You've lived there for over three months, surely you've seen her before now."

"No."

"What's her name?" Another voice quiered.

"I don't know. Didn't ask." He shrugged. "None of the other tenants know who she is either. All anyone knows is that her apartment has been empty for just over two years."

"Nothing on her mailbox?"

"No." He replied shaking his head as he spoke.

"She didn't recognise who you were either?" The second voice asked.

"She didn't appear to." He replied shaking his head once more.

"Oh, that is weird." Remarked another friend as his eyebrows flew upwards. "She is pretty. Yes?"

"Huh? Oh. Yes. Very. She's about five feet eight inches tall with legs a lot of women would kill for. She's got very long, jet black slightly curly hair and the loveliest green eyes I've ever........" He replied with another deep sigh as his voice trailed off. "When she smiles its like........" he drifted off again.

"You are interested in her?"

"I would be, if she didn't already have a boyfriend." He nodded his head.

"How do you know that she has? Was she with him?" The second voice questioned again.

"No. She got a phone call from someone she called Harry as I helped her carry her luggage up the stairs."

"That doesn't mean it was her boyfriend. He could just be a friend."

"She called him 'babe' just before she hung up. She's hardly going to call someone she doesn't love that now is she?" He retorted as he returned the earphones to his ears. "Let's get on with it shall we?" he said as he sighed again.

"Hey girl, you look a lot better than the last time I saw you." Karen exclaimed as she stepped into her friend's apartment. "Let me have a look at you."

Tamara rolled her eyes into her head as one of her best friends took her face in her hands and inspected her features.

"I told you that friend of my father's would make a good job of your nose didn't I. You look great. You haven't heard anything from 'him' yet have you?'

"No. I don't think he even knows I'm back in the country." Tamara shook her head. "I never want to hear from that bastard again anyway. Two broken noses was one too many. I should have left him the first time he did it. Anyway enough about him, let's crack that wine open." She smiled broadly and rubbed her hands together.

"So what's it like being in the jungles of Africa?" Arry questioned.

"Hot! Verrrry hot" Tamara replied.

"Oh Ha! Ha!" retorted Arry.

"What did you do for fun out there?" Sue asked.

"There wasn't really a lot to do but watch and photograph the animals. No humans but the local tribes around. No modern technology, unless I went into the nearest city and even then it wasn't the most up-to-date stuff. It was so quiet, it was wonderful. I really enjoyed myself. Nothing to disturb my photographic study."

"You're a sad cow." Arry teased.

"You can shut up!" Tamara retorted as she threw a cushion in Arry's direction. "That's why I hang around with you lot. A herd of sad old cows, that's us." She laughed with her friends as she reached for her glass.

"Have you finished that now?" Karen queried through her laughter.

"Yeah." Tamara sighed and smiled broadly. "Back to my music from tomorrow."

"So who is this man you mentioned on the phone earlier?"

"Sue. Honestly!" Tamara exclaimed as she rolled her eyes into her head again.

"Tell!" Sue demanded excitedly as she re-filled her wine glass.

"Aaaargh!" She screamed jokingly. "Ok. I don't know his name 'cos we didn't exchange them." Tamara replied as she drained her own glass and reached for the bottle. "All I know about him is that he lives right above me, at least that's what he said."

"What does he look like?" she heard Karen's voice question.

"I didn't really pay that much attention." She shrugged as she stood and made her way to the balcony. Leaning with the small of her back against the railing she continued. "He's about six feet tall, dark haired with the most gorgeous eyes and tiny gap between his two front teeth. And when he smiles. Oooooooh!" she shivered as she finished.

"Oh right! If that's what you call not paying attention, God help us when you do." Sue exclaimed as she jerked her head upwards and rolled her eyes into her head.

Tamara wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at her as she turned to look down into the street. Her eyes widened as she saw the man she had just described making his way towards the building with three equally good looking men.

________


"Yes, that's her. Do you have to make it so obvious you're looking?" Sébastien asked Carlos as he glanced upwards.

"Wow! You are right amigo, she is verrrrrrry pretty." Carlos growled as he looked at the dark haired woman leaning over the balcony with a glass of red wine in her hand.

"She sure is." David remarked as he looked upwards.

"Absolutely!" Urs confirmed as he saw her "And so are her three friends." he continued as he gave Carlos and David a quick dig in the ribs. "Look at the blonde. Wow!"

"She's okay. The one with brown hair is a lot better looking." David remarked with a beaming smile.

"You're are both wrong. The one with hair the colour of dark chocolate is the prettiest." Carlos observed.

"You guys!" Sébastien exclaimed as he shook his head.

"They're all taking a good look this way." David chuckled as they all turned their heads away, teasing the women that had gathered on the balcony three floors up.

"No way." Urs whispered.

"Sure are. Seb's lady is watching every move he makes." David laughed.

"What about the blonde?" Urs queried.

David quickly glanced up at the balcony. "Oh my God! They're all checking Seb out."

"Don't be so ridiculous." Carlos exclaimed as he glanced up again. "Meirda. David is right."

"Damn." Urs hissed under his breath.

_______


"Hey you three. Come here." Tamara whispered as she beckoned her friends forward with her left hand, keeping it down by her side as she did so.

"What?" questioned Sue.

"There he is." Tamara replied as they came to her side.

"Where?" asked Arry.

"There!" Tamara replied as she nodded towards the group of men on the ground. "The one that's standing near the door, with those other men, the one shaking his head."

"Oh my God! He lives here?" Arry gaped and fanned herself. "Woohoo."

She watched her friends as they looked at the man she had indicated then turned to face her with wide eyes and open mouths.

"What?!" she exclaimed.

"Girl, where have you been for the past two years... in a nunnery or something?" Karen asked sarcastically as she stood looking at Tamara with her hands on her hips and her head tilted to the left.

"As good as!" Tamara huffed in reply. "Why?"

"Didn't anything get through to you while you were out there?" Arry asked

"No, not really. I told you I have loooooooads of catching up to do."

"Pfft And then some." Sue grunted through her nose.

"You don't have a clue who he is do you?" Arry questioned with a broad smile on her face.

"No."

"Remind me again, when do you start the job at Martin's recording studio?" Sue queried.

"Tomorrow! Stop trying to change the subject Sue and pleeease tell me who he is?" Tamara begged.

She watched her friends again as they looked at each other then at her with their tongues in their cheeks, smiling secretively and shaking their heads.

"Tell me!" she demanded again.

All three women shook their heads once more.

"Tell me!!"

"Ah...ah. You'll probably find out tomorrow." giggled Karen.

"Aaaaargh! I hate you three!!" Tamara yelled as she made her way to the kitchen.

_______


"They were not 'checking me out' as you put it." Sébastien huffed as he punched his passcode into the keypad.

"Man where were you looking? They followed every move you made. Especially your mystery lady." David informed him. "Not one of them showed any interest in the rest of us."

"Which I find more than a little worrying by the way!" Carlos huffed.

"Pfft. Yeah right." Sébastien grunted.

"I think we'd better leave him alone. He's not going to believe a word we say." Urs shook his head as Sébastien pushed the door open. "Bright and early tomorrow Seb?" He continued as he pulled David and Carlos away from the building.

"Yeah, bright and early." He nodded in reply as he rammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and allowed the door to close quietly behind him.

He sighed and shook his head at the sign on the lift.

"Merde!" he cursed as he made his way to the stairwell and started to climb to the fourth floor. He paused when he reached the third floor and laid his hand on the exit door.

"Non. It wouldn't be right. He's probably with her." He whispered to himself as he sighed and shook his head. He moved his hand away turned and continued to climb.

He quickly made his way into his own apartment, poured himself a glass of wine and made his way over to his own balcony. He sighed once more as he listened to the sounds coming from the apartment below. She and her friends were obviously having a good time.

"All right, all right. I'll play. Let's have some fun to begin with. Yeoow!! Too loud." she screamed as an amplifier screeched and whistled loudly at her. "Remember this?" She asked as the she began to play and sing Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."

"Another one." Another voice asked.

"Ok. Lets try........"

"Heartbreak Hotel" began to play.

He listened to her as a deep sultry singing voice filled the air.

"Something on piano now?" Another voice asked.

"Slower too." Demanded the same voice as before.

"Can't use the piano. It's out of tune. Ok. Err slower. Ah yes."

"Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain."

She giggled then spoke.

"Ok. One more then that's enough for tonight. Fast, medium or slow?"

"A loud yell of 'Slow' came from below."

"Bitter They Are Harder They Fall."

"See you tomorrow. Love ya babe." she said as she finally said goodbye to her companions and closed her apartment door.

He sniffed and quickly swallowed the rest of his wine as he heard her close her balcony windows.

"Huh! Of course she was." He huffed again as he recalled David's words and watched the light from the balcony below him disappear.

________


It sounded like she was on the phone again as he woke. He could hear her muffled tones, a silent pause, then the same muffled voice. He looked at the time as he heard her apartment door slamming shut.

'So much for bright and early!' He thought to himself as he looked at his alarm clock, swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stretched himself out.

He flopped onto his back and lay staring at the ceiling for a few moments. He could really do with going back to sleep, he'd only managed to get a few hours last night because he couldn't get the sound of her singing out of his head.

He huffed to himself. He knew Urs would be there soon and he would be complaining because the recording of the new album was behind schedule. He sat himself back up, gave the back of his head a good scratch and made his way to his door as he heard Urs shouting.

"Seb! Are you awake in there? Get your lazy arse out of bed. We're late."

"Morning." Sébastien yawned as he opened his apartment door.

"Did you get any sleep last night 'cos you look like crap?" Urs questioned as he stepped over the threshold.

"Oh thanks. No, not much." Sébastien yawned again.

"Why not?"

"I just didn't Ok. You know where things are. Help yourself to coffee or whatever you want. I won't be long." He continued as he rubbed his eyes and scratched at his facial stubble.

"Thinking about the girl downstairs?" Urs teased

"No." Sébastien snapped in reply.

"Liar."

"Shut up!" Sébastien snapped again. He really wasn't in the mood for Urs' teasing.

"For God's sake Seb."

"What?"

"Why don't you just find out who she is and ask her out."

"I told you, she's already got someone."

"You don't know that for definite."

Sébastien shrugged and sighed deeply as he made his way into the bathroom. He blew out a deep breath as he looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Urs was right, he did look like crap. He quickly showered and shaved then made his way to his bedroom and dressed.

"Ok. I'm ready." Sébastien informed as he yawned again and stepped into the hallway.

"No breakfast?"

"No. I'm not hungry and didn't you say we're already late?"

He closed the door firmly behind them, but hardly listened to what Urs was saying as they walked down the stairs together.

"Have you been listening to a word I've said?" Urs questioned as they left the building.

"Huh? Oh Yeah." He lied.

"Of course you have." Urs replied as he jerked his head upwards and rolled his eyes backwards.

________


"You've still got the magic touch with the guitar haven't you Tam?" She heard Martin's voice question over the headphones.

"Thanks Martin. It's a beautiful song and brilliantly written." She replied as she placed her guitar on its stand.

"Yeah it is. And I think he will be pleased with the way you've played it."

"Martin?"

"Yes Tam."

"If he's that good at writing music, why hasn't he recorded it himself?"

"Too busy." Martin replied without thinking.

"Doing what?" Tamara asked.

She watched as Martin dropped his chin to his chest, raised his eyebrows and stared at her open-mouthed.

"What? Have I said something wrong?"

"No. You do know who you have just recorded that song for though don't you?"

"I can read you know?" Tamara replied sarcastically. "It says his name at the top of the sheetmusic. Some guy named Sébastien Izambard."

"Yes.....And!"

"And what?" She shook her head and shrugged.

"Tam!! Seb Izambard......Il Divo......Don't those names mean anything to you?" Martin questioned.

"Err...No...Should they?"

"Tam! Are you for real?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Are you really telling me you've never heard of him or them?"

"Yes, I'm telling you I've never heard of him and who the bloody hell are Il Divo?" she replied indignantly.

"Oh my God!!" Martin exclaimed as he stood in the control room laughing hysterically.

"What?" She exclaimed again as she stood in the studio with her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

"Go to lunch Tam, just go to lunch. I'll explain later." Martin replied through his laughter as he batted his hand at her.

________


"Seb! Can I get your opinion on the guitar playing for that song you wrote before you go for lunch?" Martin asked as he stepped into the studio where they were all working.

"Now?" Sébastien groaned.

"If you don't mind. Then I can get it re-done straight after lunch if you don't like it."

"Okay. Let's hear it." He sighed as he returned the earphones to his ears and perched himself on a stool. His eyes widened and he sat bolt upright as he heard the guitar come in. "Wow!! That's exactly how I wanted it to sound. Who was that playing?" He asked.

"An old friend of mine." replied Martin "Do you think she's done a good job?"

"Fantastic!" Sébastien nodded. "Where is she? I would like to meet her and say thank you."

"I sent her to lunch just before I came across." Martin stifled a giggle as he spoke. "I could introduce you later this afternoon if she has the time. She's got a lot of work to try and get through today."

"Okay." Sébastien nodded as he left the studio.

"Damn!" Tamara exclaimed as she reached the entrance. "Forgot your handbag didn't you?"

She shook her head as she made her way back to the lift and checked her watch as she waited for it to arrive.

"Oh blow it! I'll take the stairs."

"Typical!!" she hissed.

The lift announced its arrival at the ground floor as she started to climb the stairs.

She climbed quickly to the second floor, checked that there was no red light above the door and made her way into the studio where she had been working just a few moments before. She looked at the sheets of the music still on the stand.

"Okay. Let's take these and have a look at what I'll be doing this afternoon if Monsieur Izambard likes what I've done with his song." she said to herself. Taking the bundle of papers into her arms and picking up her bag she made her way out of the studio again.

"Oh! Now look what you've done!" She yelled as she crouched down to retrieve the leaves of paper that had gone flying in all directions as she had collided with the man who had come out of the studio opposite the one she had been in. She kept her head down as she spoke.

"You should have been looking where you were going." She hissed at him.

"So should you." He snapped in reply.

She bit her tongue to stop herself making a sarcastic comment.

"Sorry. You're right. I should have............." He stopped as she raised her head.

"You!" They yelled together.

"What are you......?" They spoke at the same time again.

"Working." She quickly replied as she tried to straighten the papers. "You?"

"Recording."

"Oh. Right!" She nodded. "Sorry I can't stay and chat. I'm supposed to be meeting a friend for lunch and I'm already late. They're gonna kill me if I keep them waiting much longer." She informed him with a smile as she checked her watch, bundled the papers under her left arm and ran towards the lift.

"Wait! Can't you at least tell me......" Sébastien began as he watched her run. "your name." He finished as the lift doors closed behind her. "Merde!" He cursed as he kicked the outer wall of the studio.

_______


"So?" Arry asked as she sat herself on the park bench next to Tamara.

"So What?"

"You know! Was he at the studios today?"

"Oh Yes. Yes he was. I bumped into him just before I left to meet you. That's why this lot is such a mess." Tamara informed as she lifted the pile of sheetmusic.

"What happened?"

"We collided with each other and it went flying. It's going to take me a while to sort it out when I get back to work."

"You know who he is now then?" Arry questioned her again.

"Errr...No. I still don't know his name."

"What?! Oh for goodness sake Tam." Arry dropped her face into her hands and shook her head.

"Well I was in a hurry to meet someone for lunch wasn't I?" Tamara said with a sarcastic smile.

"Oh so it's all my fault is it?" Arry nodded at her.

"Isn't it always?"

"Raspberries to you Tamara Fox." Arry wrinkled her nose as she blew a raspberry at Tamara.

"Right back at ya Ariadne Frost." Tamara returned.

"What have you been recording this morning?" Arry asked when she finally stopped laughing.

"Some song written by a guy by the name of Sébastien Izambard. It was absolutely..........Oh thanks Arry." She exclaimed as Arry showered her with coffee.

"Sorry!" Arry laughed.

"It's ok. It's a good job I'm wearing dark clothes isn't it?" She laughed as she rubbed herself down with a paper napkin. "Have you heard of him then?" Tamara continued.

"Errr No! No I haven't." Arry replied as she pursed her lips and looked towards the heavens. "Honest!" She exclaimed as she saw Tamara looking at her suspiciously.

"Ok I'll believe you, but you know what'll happen if I find out your fibbing."

"What?"

"New Year's Eve. Three years ago." Tamara nodded towards the river.

"You wouldn't dare!"

Tamara smiled and raised her eyebrows.

"Foxy, you just try and throw me in the river Seine again and see what happens to you."

"Oh yeah Frosty?" she asked as she brought herself nose to nose with her friend.

"Yeah Foxy." Arry replied as she crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out.

Arry and Tamara finally stopped laughing and Tamara listened intently as Arry told her the news about some of her other friends. She suddenly swallowed hard and Tamara noticed the worried look on her face.

"What's up?" She asked.

"Oh nothing." Arry replied.

"Tell me!" Tamara demanded.

"I......I saw Gil this morning."

"Oh! And?"

"He spoke to me. Sian has left him. He knows you're back. Sy saw you at the airport."

"Shit! I'd forgotten he worked there."

"Tam!"

"Yes." she replied as she saw her one of her closest friends start to cry.

"He said he's going to make you take him back. He said he knows you still love him. You won't will you? You don't do you?"

"Arry! Don't worry. Please." Tamara said as she gave her a hug. "I wouldn't ever take him back. No, I don't still love him. I have soooo moved on."

"There's one more thing." Arry sniffed.

"What?"

"He......He grabbed hold of my mobile and forwarded your number from mine to his. I tried to stop him."

"It's ok. Don't worry about it." She continued as she squeezed her a little tighter. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No! Not much anyway." Arry replied as she showed Tamara her left wrist.

"Bastard!" Tamara exclaimed. She shook her head at the fresh finger marks. "I'm so sorry."

"It's ok. It's not your fault is it? Just promise me."

"Promise you what?"

"That you'll be careful. That you won't let him hurt you. I couldn't stand seeing you in that state ever again, none of us could." Arry asked as she attempted to smile.

"I promise." Tamara smiled. "Now dry your eyes and let's get back to our jobs shall we?"

Arry nodded and gave her a weak smile as they rose from the bench.

________


"You mean she was here, here in the studio?" Urs exclaimed.

"Non. Outside in the corridor. I bumped into her as I left and sent the sheetmusic she was carrying flying all over the place. I must have looked like a right idiot." Sébastien replied as he perched himself on a stool again.

"What was she doing here?" David asked.

"She said she works here."

"Doing what?" David questioned again.

"I don't know." Sébastien shrugged.

"Argh man." David shook his head and rolled his eyes backwards as he buried his face into his hands.

"More importantly..........." began Carlos "What is the mystery lady's name and when do we get to meet her friends?" He continued with a raise of both eyebrows.

"I don't know." Sébastien shrugged again.

"Dios!" Carlos huffed then lauched into an uncomprehendible tirade in Spanish.

"Oh for God's sake Seb!" Urs exclaimed again whilst shaking his head and staring at him with an exasperated look.

"Hey! I did try to find out, but she'd disappeared into the lift before I could ask her." Sébastien retorted.

"And you didn't think to follow her to the lift or to run down the stairs to catch up with her?" Urs asked.

"Non. What's the point anyway? I told you, she's already got a boyfriend. Her friends probably have too." Sébastien huffed.

"It would still be nice to know her name. After all we now know she works here. What are we supposed to call her when we see her?" Carlos queried.

"Oh! I didn't think about that." Sébastien replied as he blinked quickly and scratched the back of his head.

"Duh!!" David flicked his head.

"Obviously!" Urs tutted.

"Idiota!" Carlos snapped.

________


Tamara drew in a deep breath and answered her mobile as she approached the recording studio. 'Let's get this over with before it goes any further.' She said to herself as she flipped it open.

"Gil." She replied as she instantly recognised the voice at the other end.

"So it's true, you're back then."

"Yes. It's true. What do you want?"

"I want you to take me back. I want you to be my girl again.."

"Dream on Gil. That is so not going to happen."

"Why not?"

"You know why." She continued as she walked through the automatic door and made her way over to the lift.

"You will take me back."

"I will not."

"I know you still love me."

"Huh! In your dreams......" She paused to cough. "..and my nightmares."

"Do you want me to hurt you again?"

"Don't threaten me Gil it won't work anymore." She almost shouted as the lift arrived and she stepped in. "What was that?"

"I said take me back."

Tamara snatched her head away as she heard him shouting down the phone.

"I told you no. It's over between us. It's been over for the past two years."

"I'm not with Sian any more, she left me."

"I could care less if Sian has left you. Me leaving you wasn't just about me catching you in bed with that little slut in the first place."

"I don't know what other reason you could have for leaving me."

"Really?! I think you do."

"I don't."

"Don't lie."

"It was your fault."

"What?! I didn't do it on purpose."

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't. It was an accident. Accidents happen Gil."

"It wasn't an accident. You threw yourself down those stairs on purpose." He yelled.

"Whatever. Think what you like, I couldn't give crap anymore." She shook her head.

"What do you want me to say? I'm sorry I hit you."

"You didn't just hit me Gil. You beat me up, broke three of my ribs, ruptured my spleen and put me in hospital for three weeks."

"I was drunk when I did it.."

"It doesn't matter that you were drunk. You still did it."

"You are going to take me back Tam. I'll make you."

"I've told you once, I won't. Nothing you can say or do will make me change my mind." She continued as the lift stopped at the second floor and she made her way out.

"At least meet me for a drink then."

"No, I won't meet you for a drink either." Tamara shook her head.

"There's someone else isn't there?"

"No, there's no-one else. Not that its any of you business if there is." She informed him as she pushed the outer studio door open and made her way in.

'One minute.' She mouthed to Martin as he popped his head out of the control room door.

"You will take me back Tam. I know you will. You can't live without me"

Tamara grunted a laugh. "Really. Funny how I've managed to live without you for the last two years, isn't it?"

"Just meet me for a drink."

"I said no and I mean no. Please don't call me again." She closed her phone and switched it off.

"Gil?" Martin questioned through the loudspeaker as Tamara made her way into the studio.

"How did you guess?" She replied into the microphone.

"What did he want?"

"It doesn't matter. I've dealt with it. Let's get on shall we? I still have a lot to get through." She smiled as she quickly sorted the mixed up sheet music and picked up one of her guitars.

"Which one first?"

"There's No-one."

"Okay. Got it. Ready." She smiled as she put the earphones on and started playing.

Several hours and five recordings later Tamara finally returned her guitar to its stand.

"Well done Tam. You got quite a lot done today."

"Thanks Martin." Tamara smiled and stretched herself out.

"Are you in a hurry to leave?"

"Not particularly. I'm not meeting Arry for at least another hour or so. Why?" Tamara shook her head as she straightened up the sheetmusic.

"Someone I've been working with wants to meet you."

"Oh! Who?"

"Sébastien Izambard. I let him listen to your playing of his song earlier."

"And?" Tamara raised a questioning eyebrow.

"He liked it, he liked it a lot." Martin smiled. "He's very busy at the minute, but he really wants to meet you. Will you wait?"

"Ok. Good. No, I don't mind waiting." Tamara shrugged. "Martin?"

"Mmmmm."

"This group you were on about earlier.....Il Divo I think you called them?"

"Yes. What about them?"

"I get the feeling I really should know who they are, but I haven't heard anything of them. Is this Sébastien Izambard something to do with them?"

"Oh Tam!! One minute. Here listen to this. It's their first album." Martin informed as he slipped the disc into the player

Tamara made herself comfortable on her stool, returned the headphones to her ears and listened intently as the introduction to 'Regressa A Mi' began. She closed her eyes and seemed to drift away as she listened intently to the rest of the album.

"What do you think?" Martin asked as the final notes of 'A Mi Manera' faded away.

"Wow! Am I right in thinking there are three tenors and a baritone in the group?"

"Correct."

"There's one voice in the group, he doesn't sound as if he's been classically trained, not like the other three do." She queried.

"Correct again."

"It's a very nice voice." Tamara smiled.

"You like it?"

"Yes." She nodded enthusiastically.

"That's Sébastien."

"Oh! They can't be that popular though?" Tamara wrinkled her nose.

"Why?"

"The style they sing in. Classically trained opera voices singing pop songs." She grunted a laugh and shook her head. "I just can't see it working."

"Really. Oh how wrong you are." Martin replied as he laughed.

"Why?"

"They've just finished their first World tour."

"What?! Really!" Tamara exclaimed in amazement.

"Virtually every venue sold out." Martin nodded.

"Like where?"

"Wembley Arena, Hartwell Arena, Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Palais De Congress. Do you want me to go on?"

"No. Wow! That's amazing." Tamara replied as she looked at Martin wide-eyed.

"Tam! Were you really that far away from the civilized world while you were in Africa?"

"Oh don't you start. Yes I was. No phone, no computers, no television, no radio, nothing. It was brilliant. Why?" Tamara rolled her eyes in frustration.

"What were you doing out there?"

"Studying." Tamara replied.

"Studying what?"

"Promise you won't laugh." Tamara looked at him through her eyelashes and smiled slyly.

Martin nodded his head. "Cross my heart." He said as he made the motions.

"Mountain Gorillas."

"Really?" Martin asked while looking at her wide-eyed.

"Yes. Why?"

"Just a bit of a deviation for you isn't it?" Martin asked as he shook his head and furrowed his brow.

"Hah!" She laughed. "I suppose it was. It gave me a chance to develop my hobby a little better though."

"Oh yeah, the photography thing. You get any good ones?"

"Quite a few." Tamara nodded. "Some might be published in National Geographic within the next few months."

"Oh brilliant."

"Thanks. Anyway back to Il Divo. Is there as second album?"

"Sorry, yes Would you like to hear it?"

"Go on then. You've twisted my arm." Tamara replied as she playfully forced her own arm up her back and winked at Martin.

She settled herself once more and sat listening intently once more as 'Heroe' began to play.

Martin laughed to himself as he watched her become totally absorbed in just listening for a second time. He smiled as he saw some of the faces she pulled and watched her hands as she played air guitar or piano to the parts of the songs that featured those instruments. He watched her face again as she heard Sébastien sing the first lines of 'Solo Otra Vez'. He bit his lip lightly as he watched her knock a tear from her eye as that particular song finished.

"So Sue was right." Martin nodded to himself as Tamara composed herself for 'En Aranjuez Con To Amor'.

________


"Are we almost finished for today?" Sébastien questioned as he yawned loudly and stretched himself out. "I'm dead on my feet."

"Well you should have got some sleep last night shouldn't you?" Urs said nodding towards Sébastien as he spoke.

"Oh yes and what were you up to that kept you awake last night?" Carlos questioned with a broad smile and a quizically raised eyebrow.

"Nothing!" Sébastien snapped.

"Dreaming about the girl in the apartment below his I shouldn't wonder." David replied.

"I was not!" Sébastien snapped again.

"Of course not. You've done nothing but sigh and go all goo-goo eyed every time she's been mentioned today. You still don't know her name and you've fallen for her." Urs teased.

"I have not gone goo-goo eyed." Sébastien retorted.

"So have!" David replied whilst pulling a dreamy eyed look at him and making sloppy kissing noises.

"F*ck off David!" Sébastien snapped back as he pushed David hard away from him.

"Oooh! Ok! Monsieur Touchypants." David replied holding his hands up in surrender and backing away.

"I'm sorry. Please just leave me alone." Sébastien asked as he started to walk away from them.

"What's up with him? He can usually take a lot more of my ribbing and jokes than that." David queried as he Urs came to his side.

"Maybe we went a little too far." Urs shook his head as he spotted Sébastien dropping his chin to his chest and quickly wiping his eyes.

"Maybe he really likes this girl that lives below him." Carlos tried. "And I mean 'really'." He continued as he gave a little nod.

"Already?" David queried. "You think he's in love with her already."

"Stranger things have happened amigo." Carlos shrugged.

"Nah." David shook his head. "Love at first sight. Pah!"

"I think Carlos is right." Urs nodded in agreement as he watched Sébastien. "I've never seen him like this before."

His head hung low, his shoulders drooped, he dragged his feet as he walked. The sparkle had almost gone from his eyes, no smile to speak of and his sense of humour on hiatus. Urs nodded again as he heard a familiar voice speaking.

"Ok you lot. That's enough for today." Martin's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Seb, that friend of mine is ready to meet with you if it's ok with you."

"Ok. Just give me a few minutes to freshen up." Sébastien nodded his head and sighed heavily.

He nodded to the others as they asked him if he was ok and made their way out of the studio. They were all ready to leave for the day. He didn't want to go home. That would probably mean seeing her and would mean having to listen to her sweet, gentle voice as she spoke to someone on the phone. He'd noticed that she seemed to spend a lot of time on either her home phone or her mobile and the conversations did seem to get quite loud.

He swallowed hard as he walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror again.

"You still look like crap." He sneered at his reflection.

'Keep your balcony doors closed you idiot, maybe then you'll be able to get her out of your head.' His inner voice tried as he rubbed his hands heavily over his face.

"But she works here. What am I supposed to do if I see her? Ignore her?" He asked his reflection. "Non." He shook his head and closed his eyes. "I couldn't do that." He buried his face in his hands then exploded. "Merde! Merde!! Merde!!!" He cursed loudly as he kicked at the rubbish bin.

"Everything ok Seb?" He heard Urs' voice questioning from behind him.

"Fine." He nodded as he splashed some cold water on his face then dried himself off.

"You err....You really like this girl that lives below you don't you?" Urs questioned as he laid a hand on Sébastien shoulder.

Sébastien didn't reply verbally. He screwed his eyes tight together and simply nodded. He rubbed his eyes with the index finger and thumb of his right hand, pinched the top of his nose and took a few deep breaths before speaking. He nodded as he began to speak.

"From the moment I saw her. There was just something about her that seemed click. Almost like she'd been put on this earth for just for me. When I heard that phone call she had with Harry, it was like a part of me died. I don't know why."

He shrugged as he paused to breath deep again

"I know its only been a couple of days, but it's torture listening her go about her life Urs and not being able to tell her how I feel about her. I can't tell her while she's with him, it just wouldn't be right."

He sighed heavily again as he turned from the mirror and leaned himself against the countertop before speaking once more.

"You should have heard the fun everyone was having in her apartment last night. It sounded like one hell of a party, like there was a lot of people there. I wanted to go down and introduce myself, but I couldn't, not with all those people there."

"How many were there?" Urs shrugged.

"Don't know." Sébastien shrugged in reply. "But from the noise they were making it sounded like quite a few. More than four women anyway." He laughed. "She plays the guitar you know." He smiled.

"Oh." Urs replied. "How good is she?"

"Good. Really good." Sébastien nodded. "Almost as good as I heard on that recording Martin asked me to listen to at lunchtime. I think she can play the piano as well, but I haven't heard her yet because hers is out of tune. She can sing too." He nodded.

"Really? Is she any good?"

Sébastien nodded again and smiled slightly. "Erm.....She almost had me crying last night." He sighed as he recalled her singing of 'Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain'. "I'm seriously thinking about selling my apartment and moving to the other side of the city. That way I'd only have to see her here and I could do something to avoid that."

"You'd go that far?" Urs questioned.

Sébastien nodded and lowered his chin to his chest. "It sounds stupid I know, me falling for a woman so quickly, but every time I hear her voice it just feels like I come to life. She doesn't even have to be speaking to me, she can be speaking to anyone. It's like I'm wandering alone in the dark and she's the light that shows me which way I have to go. It's like that line in that film, 'Jerry Maguire' I think it was, like she would complete me somehow." He sniffed loudly. "God that sounds really corny, really soppy." He huffed a laugh and slapped his hands over his face.

"Wow! I've never heard you talk about any woman like that." Urs shook his head.

Sébastien shrugged and closed his eyes slowly. "Told you it sounded stupid."

"No, no it doesn't." Urs shook his head. "Sounds like you're really in love this time."

"I am." Sébastien nodded. "This time I really I am, but I guess it's just not meant to be." He shrugged.

"Do you think you'll be long with meeting this woman Martin wants to introduce you to?" Urs questioned as he watched Sébastien head for the door.

"Non I don't think so, Why?"

"I want to get home as soon as I can, I'm expecting a phone call." Urs reminded him.

"Oh yes. I'll be as quick as I can without being rude." Sébastien nodded as he opened the bathroom door and made his way back to Martin.

__________


Tamara sat in the darkened studio waiting for Martin to return with the man he said wanted to meet her. She picked up her guitar and sat nonchalantly picking at the strings. She startled slightly as she heard a voice over the speakers.

"Tam?"

"Yes Martin." She replied as he slowly turned up the lights and she returned her guitar to its stand.

"Do me a favour." Martin coughed as he stifled a giggle.

"Ok, what?"

"Turn around and say hello to Sébastien Izambard."

She did as her lifelong friend asked and almost fell off the stool when the man standing in front of her raised his chin from his chest and looked at her. Two sets eyes flew wide as Sébastien caught her by the arm and stopped her from hitting the floor.

"You!" They said together again and looked at each other still wide-eyed.

They stared at each for a moment then slowly turned their heads to the glass of the control room. Tamara and Sébastien looked at each and shrugged questioningly as they listened to Martin laughing hysterically.

"Martin Brand, Is this some sort of wind up?" She asked indignantly.

"Sorry Tam. Sorry Seb. Sue and I just couldn't resist. No, it isn't a wind up Tam. Look!" He carried on laughing as he held a tour poster up to the partition glass. "Seb say hello to Tamara Fox. The young lady whose guitar playing you enjoyed listening to earlier."

"Hello Tamara. Nice to meet you......." He paused and lowered his voice to a whisper "........finally." Sébastien smiled as he gently kissed the back of her right hand.

"Erm nice to meet you too Sébastien." She smiled in return. "You bas.... You and Sue are so going to pay for this." She continued as she turned back to look at Martin, wagged her right index finger at him and looked at him sternly.

"What?" Martin replied as he grunted, shrugged his shoulders and continued to laugh.

"What do you mean you and Sue couldn't resist?" Tamara demanded as she glared at him.

Martin grunted a laugh and attempted to compose himself. "She called me very early this morning and told me what happened last night. She told me that you had never heard of either Seb or Il Divo, but that you would probably be very erm.......smitten with all of their voices when you heard them. She told me that you had taken quite a........"

"That's enough." Tamara laughed as she cut him off. "I get it. Ha Ha! Very funny. Let's wind Tam up." She wrinkled her nose as she smiled. "Well kudos to the pair of you, but I am going to get my own back." She laughed as she wagged her finger at him again.

"Uh oh! We're in big trouble aren't we Tam?" Martin asked as he watched her move to leave the studio with Sébastien.

"Oh yes!" Tamara nodded. "Bigtime."

"It wasn't that funny." Tamara exclaimed as they stepped from the lift together, still laughing hysterically.

"Yes it was. The look on you face when you turned round to face me was priceless." Sébastien replied as he fought to control his laughter.

"Well if it was anything like yours when you saw me sitting on that stool." Tamara continued as she demonstrated the look Sébastien had given her.

"I did not look like that!" Sébastien retorted in mock indignation.

"Yes you did." Tamara replied as she pulled the face again and giggled.

"Did not." Sébastien grunted a laugh.

"Did too." Tamara whispered.

"Did not." Sébastien replied as he looked skyward.

"So diiiid." Tamara laughed again.

"Didn't." Sébastien replied quickly.

"Okay, enough." Tamara replied as she finally regained control and wiped her eyes.

"So Tamara, where are you from? You can't be French, Fox isn't a French surname." Sébastien asked as he wiped his eyes.

"Oh can't I now. Well that just shows how much you know Mr Smartypants Izambard. Je suis Français. Au moins la moitié de moi est. Ma mère est Française and my father is English. So there!" She replied without pausing as she switched between the two languages. "I was born in the Loire Valley. My parents own a small winery down there."

"So why don't you speak French all the time?"

"Well Pop, that's my father, doesn't, or rather, can't speak French fluently but Mum is bilingual. She speaks French of course and is fluent in English as well, I've really been bought up in an English speaking household. I can speak French if you want."

"Oh No. English is fine. I need to work on the language anyway. " Sébastien laughed as he spoke. "Err...Tamara, I was wondering if I could take you out to dinner some time, just as a thank you." He asked with a nervous smile.

"A thank you for what?" She replied in surprise.

"The way you played my song. You did a much better job than I ever thought possible. It sounded even better than when I wrote it."

"Oh, thank you." Tamara nodded shyly. "Dinner would be lovely. When?"

"Tonight?" Sébastien asked hopefully.

"Ah!" Tamara exclaimed as she bit her bottom lip gently. "I can't. Not tonight, Sorry." She shook her head. "I've already made arrangements with Arry and I don't like to change things at the last minute. What's with the long face?" She asked as she saw the disappointed look again.

"Nothing." Sebastien shrugged. "If you've already made arrangements with your boyfriend, then of course you should go out with him."

"Boyfriend?!" Tamara questioned as she furrowed her brow.

"Harry." Sébastien nodded.

Tamara started laughing again as they walked through the main entrance.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry." She began as she smiled at him and shook her head. "I really shouldn't laugh, but it's not Harry, it's Arry. You need to drop the H, I don't have a boyfriend."

"You don't?!!" Sébastien asked as the smile returned to his face.

"No." Tamara shook her head again. "Haven't had one for over two years now."

"Oh! Right! Why do you call Arry 'babe' when you're on the phone to him then?" Sebastien asked with a puzzled look.

"You can hear me on the phone?" Tamara asked as she clamped her hand over her mouth in embarrassment, recalling some of her recent, rather risqué, rather loud, phone calls.

"Only when both our balcony doors are open." Sébastien nodded with a broader smile as he watched her blush bright red.

"Oh!" Tamara nodded in relief. "I suppose I do get rather loud too and I do have a tendancy to call a lot of my friends 'babe'. Male and female. It's just an expression I got used to using when I stayed with my English grandmother some time ago and its just sort of stuck."

"Ok, so Arry is a friend of yours?"

"Yes, she's one of my best friends." Tamara nodded again.

"Don't you mean 'he'?" Sébastien looked at her puzzled.

"Err Nooo. Arry is short for Ariadne and that's her waiting for me just over there." she informed him as she pointed towards a honey blonde haired woman waiting about fifteen feet from them.

"Oh. Right! What about tomorrow night then?" He smiled even broader.

"All right, tomorrow." Tamara nodded and returned his smile.

"In the meantime, can we offer you and Arry a lift home."

Tamara immediately felt herself blanche and she swallowed hard as she saw him indicating a silver people carrier. Her eyes flew wide and she blinked quickly as she saw the other three men waiting for him.

"No, thank you!" She replied quickly. "Arry's place isn't that far."

"You're sure?"

Tamara nodded and smiled once more.

"Tomorrow then?" Sébastien questioned once more.

Tamara smiled, nodded and gently bit her bottom lip as she backed away from him.

_______


"So?" Arry asked excitedly as she linked arms with Tamara.

"So what?"

"You finally found out who he is then?" Arry beamed a smile at her.

"Ah ha." Tamara sighed.

"And?" Arry questioned again.

"And he thanked me for the work I did on his song."

"Ok.... And?"

Tamara shrugged, scratched behind her left ear and raised her eyes to the heavens.

"Andheaskedmetogoouttodinnerwithhimtomorrownight." She informed quickly

Arry looked at her wide-eyed and open-mouthed as she spoke.

"What? Oh Foxy! I hope you said yes, you lucky girl. Two days you've been back in Paris and you've landed yourself a date with one of its most famous residents."

"Excuse me! I didn't say anything about it being a date did I?" Tamara asked as she looked at her friend with a stunned expression.

"What then, if it's not a date?" Arry asked.

"A thank you. He liked the way I played his song, that's all." Tamara informed as she looked skyward and smiled broadly.

"Ok, but you did say yes didn't you?" Arry questioned again.

"Maybe." Tamara teased.

"Foxy, you tell me right now that you said yes or, so help me you'll be in the river.!" Arry demanded.

Tamara tilted her head to one side and looked at Arry.

"Of course I said yes. Do I look that stupid?"

"Ye....."

"Retorical question Arry. Retorical question." Tamara informed her as she clamped her hand over her friend's mouth.

Tamara giggled as she heard Arry mumble something like 'ok' under her hand.

"So come on Frosty, which one's is your favourite?"

"I don't know what you mean." Arry shrugged.

Tamara stopped walking and stood with her hands on her hips. "I saw the furtive little looks you three were giving the other men the other night, even if they didn't. I'm not stupid. I'm not moving until you tell me." She watched her friend as she turned round. Arry approached and whispered in her ear.

"Oh him. He's kinda cute. Gorgeous eyes." Tamara nodded. "What about Kaz and Sue?" She listened carefully and rolled her eyes when Arry informed her of who her oldest friend liked. "I might have known Sue would like him." She laughed as they started walking again.

"So where are we going tonight?" Tamara questioned as they reached Arry's apartment door.

"We thought we'd start at Nike's then work our way up to a new place called 'Isobel's."

"Nike's!" Tamara exclaimed as she curled the right side of her top lip, making her nose wrinkle in the process. "Is that dump still going?"

"Yep!" Arry replied. "It's under new management now though and it's gone very up market." She continued in the nicest voice she could manage whilst sticking her nose in the air.

"Does that mean you'll be tapping me for a loan then?" Tamara whispered in her ear.

"Oooof!!" Arry replied as she held the right side of her ribs. "That hurt." She continued as she fell against her apartment wall pretending she'd been physically hurt. "You're not funny you know Foxy." she finished as she reached for a cushion from a nearby chair and threw it in Tamara's direction. Tamara ducked and giggled as the cushion whizzed passed the right side of her head.

________


"How long does it take to be introduced to one woman?" David asked as he slouched down in his seat in the people carrier and pulled the peak of his baseball cap down over his eyes.

"He shouldn't be much....." Urs began. "Here he comes now." He continued as he watched Sébastien step through the main entrance and politely hold the door open. "Oh my God! No way." He yelled as he saw the woman he was talking to.

"What?" David queried from under his cap.

"Are my eyes deceiving me?" Carlos questioned whilst craning his neck to look out of the window. "Is that really her?"

"Who?" David questioned again.

"Seb is talking to his mystery lady just outside the studio building." Urs informed him.

"What? No way! No fricking way!" David yelled as he sat bolt upright and looked through the windscreen. "Oh my God, you're right."

The three of them watched as Sébastien conversed with Tamara. From their position they could only just see Arry waiting patiently near a tree. Urs smiled to himself as he saw her. They smiled as Sébastien pointed towards the vehicle but couldn't see how pale Tamara suddenly went. They continued to smile as they watched Tamara back away from Sébastien. They looked at each other and laughed as they watched him follow every move she made as she walked away. They sighed with relief as he turned and made his way to the vehicle with a spring in his step, the sparkle back in his eyes and a very broad smile on his face.

"I was beginning to wonder what was keeping you." Urs smiled as Sébastien settled himself into his usual seat in the people carrier. "If you tell us you don't know her name now, so help me Seb I'll throw you out of thi......"

"Tamara. Her name is Tamara Fox."

"Hooray! About time." Urs yelled as he threw his hands up in the air. "So she's English then?"

"Non." Sébastien pursed his lips together and shook his head. "She's French."

"With a name like Fox, surely her surname would be Renard?" Urs queried.

"Non. Her father is English and her mother's is French. She was born in the Loire Valley."

"So what does she do at the studios?" David asked.

"She's a guitarist. She was the one playing on that recording Martin asked me to listen to before lunch."

"Oh! Why didn't you do the gentlemanly thing and offer her a ride home?" Carlos asked.

"I did, she's not going home right now. She has arrangements to see her friends tonight." Sébastien replied still smiling. "She has agreed to go to dinner with me tomorrow night though."

"Really!" Urs exclaimed "Won't the boyfriend have something to say about that?"

"Non."

"You seem very sure about that." David stated.

"I'm more than sure, I'm positive. She doesn't have a boyfriend. It's not Harry it's Arry, drop the H. Arry is short for Ariadne. You all saw the blonde girl waiting for her, didn't you?"

"Yeah." replied David.

"Si." Carlos answered.

"Ja......And?" Urs questioned.

"That was Arry."

"Oh! Ok!" Urs replied his eyes brightening as the news Sébastien had just delivered.

"Oh yes you are interested in her aren't you amigo?" Carlos asked with a devilish smile.

"I might be."

"Dios! What a pair you two are." Carlos exclaimed as looked to the heavens and slapped his forehead with the palm of his right hand. "So Seb, as you don't have a date for tonight, how do you feel about going to a nightclub."

"Where were you thinking of going?" Sébastien questioned.

"That new place, I believe it's called 'Isobel's."

"Ok. Which floor?"

"Que?"

"Carlos, there are three dancefloors in that place. They get more expensive the higher up you go."

"It doesn't matter to me. I'm easy."

"Huh, we know that." Sébastien teased.

"Hey!!" Carlos yelled as he glared at Sébastien indignantly.

"Pick me up around eight thirty." Sébastien requested as he left the people carrier.

"If I bother to pick you up at all." Carlos mumbled under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." Carlos replied quickly, smiling broadly and shaking his head.

"Well I know what I'm spending my first paycheque on." Tamara stated as she walked across the road arm in arm with her friends to Isobel's.

"Don't tell us. A decent hairstyle." Sue teased.

"What's wrong with my hair?" Tamara questioned as she paused to look at herself in a shop window.

"Nothing." Sue replied. "Two years ago." she continued out of the side of her mouth.

Tamara stifled her giggles as she stuck her tongue out and blew a long raspberry at her.

"Aww sorry Tam. I was only teasing."

"Humph!" she replied as she marched away from her and stuck her nose in the air. "I'm so not talking to you." she informed her. "And to think I was considering introducing you all to Sébastien and maybe the rest of them if I ever meet them."

"Sue you apologise right now!" Karen and Arry shouted together.

"Tam, I'm so, so sorry." Sue apologised in her most pleading tone, the palms of her hands pressed together as if she was praying.

Tamara coughed then teased Sue.

"Would you mind repeating that? I don't think I heard you right."

"Don't push it Foxy." Sue scowled at her.

Tamara grunted a laugh as she turned to face them and heard them laughing.

"So what did you think to the new Nike's?" Karen asked having regained her composure.

"It's gone very up market hasn't it? This place is new though. How long has it been here?"

"About six weeks, it's very ex...... Oh crap!" Arry suddenly exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Tamara asked as she saw the extremely worried expression on her face.

"There, just ahead of us." Arry nodded up the steps that lead to the third floor of 'Isobel's' nightclub.

"Oh hell. Gil's here!" Sue informed her.

"Shit!" Karen cursed.

"Look you three......" Tamara began "so Gil is here. Just pretend we haven't seen him or ignore him. As long as he leaves us alone and doesn't cause a scene we should be okay. Now let's hit the dancefloor." She finished with a broad smile.

Four hours later, Tamara and all of her friends are still dancing the night away.

"I will have to be going home soon. I've got an early start in the morning and I still feel a little jet-lagged." Tamara shouted so that they could just hear her above the music.

"Aww Tam, it's only half past one in the morning. It's early yet." Karen protested. "You're no fun any more." she continued and pulled her face into a mock sulk.

"Kaz!"

"Yes Tam."

"Shut up." She replied as she crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her "One more dance then we leave. Ok?"

"Ok." Karen, Sue and Arry huffed together.

________


"This place is packed with lots of lovely ladies tonight." Carlos exclaimed with a quick waggle of his eyebrows as he and Sébastien politely left the women they had been dancing with, stepped down from the dancefloor and made their way to one of the two very long bars on the third floor.

"Yeah, I guess so." Sébastien replied as he quickly glanced around.

"You are still thinking about the lovely Tamara, yes?"

Sébastien nodded as he replied.

"Yes. I noticed she had funny look on her face when I offered her a lift home, I was just wondering if there was......" He stopped speaking as he noticed Carlos watching the other side of 'Isobel's' largest dancefloor intently. "Carlos, what the hell are you looking at?"

"Over there." Carlos replied as he nodded towards where he was looking. "It looks like there is an argument going on between a man and some women."

"Do you want to see if we can help?"

"No. It looks like the bouncers have everything under......Mi Dios!" Carlos suddenly shouted.

"What?"

"The man, he just hit one of the women."

"What? Where?" Sébastien asked in astoninshment.

"There." Carlos nodded again.

"Do you want to go and see if the women are all right?" Sébastien asked as he looked in the direction of the quarrel.

"Si, but we had better be quick, the ladies are leaving."

Sébastien and Carlos moved as quickly as they possibly could across the large very crowded dancefloor. Sébastien's eyes widened as he saw the evil look on the face of the man that four of the huge bouncers were struggling to hold back.

Sébastien continued to look at him as he and Carlos approached the doorway. He stood about the same height as himself, was roughly the same build, but had bright blue eyes and mousy brown hair. He didn't look particularly muscular but it took all the strength the four bouncers had to control him. He obviously had money. He wore a chocolate brown Armani suit, with a cream silk shirt open at the neck and one further button was undone. He had an ultra-expensive Rolex on his left wrist. On the middle finger of his left hand he wore a large ring that looked like it had been made from some sort of old coin. A gold chain hung around his neck, a large diamond stud was fixed to his left ear and fancy antique gold cufflinks fastened his shirts sleeves. At first glance he looked quite the gentleman, but his eyes told the whole story. Sébastien shook his head. He had never seen so much hate in anyone's eyes before and what he saw in this man's scared him.

________


"Tam, are you sure you're all right?" Sue asked as they stepped into the taxi that had been hailed for them. "I can't believe he did that in front of all those people!" She shook her head as she spoke.

"Huh! I can." Kaz nodded with a glance out of one of the side windows.

"What did he want anyway?" Arry asked as she hugged Tamara tightly and rocked her back and forth lightly.

"The same thing he wanted at lunchtime. He wants me to take him back and start seeing him again. He slapped me because I told him to go to hell." Tamara replied as she pressed the palm of her left hand to her burning cheek in an attempt to quell the pain.

"Are you going to have him arrested? There were plenty of witnesses." Sue asked.

Tamara shook her head. "There's no point."

"There were plenty of witnesses the last time he did something like that to her remember." Arry reminded her. "The police still managed to lose all of the evidence and he went free didn't he Tam?"

Tamara tried to smile and nodded her reply.

"Oh yes. Sorry Tam I forgot."

"It's ok Sue." Tamara replied as she sniffed back her tears.

"We'll drop you off first." Kaz informed her through her own tears. "Do you want one of us to stay with you tonight?"

"No, I'll be fine."

"You're sure?" Arry asked.

"Yeah. Security is a lot better at my place now. He won't be able to get to me this time." Tamara replied as the taxi pulled up outside her apartment block.

She gave her friends a hug each and tried to smile at them as she punched her passcode into the keypad. She gave them a little wave as she walked through the door. She made sure the main entrance door was firmly closed behind her this time before heading for the stairwell, running up the three flights of stairs and making her way into her apartment. She sat on her sofa and pressed her hand against her face again as she fought to control her tears.

"Damn you Gil! Damn you straight to hell!! I swore you would never do this to me again." She screamed as she picked up the crystal vase and hurled it across the room.

She moved over to where her guitars sat, picked one up and tried to play. Her eyes flew wide as she heard the first loud bang at her apartment door.

_______


Sébastien shook his head wondering how any man could hit a woman in the way Carlos had described as he turned the key in his apartment door. They had missed the women by seconds and had stood on the pavement watching after the taxi as it moved away from the nightclub.

It was a very warm night and he made his way over to the balcony to open the doors. He smiled as he looked down and saw that Tamara's were also open. He could hear her guitar being played. A sad tune filled the air and he furrowed his brow as he heard her trying to sing. He was almost sure she was crying from the way she was struggling to play and get the words to "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" out. The sound of banging and the cracking and splitting wood from her apartment door made him jump. His eyes flew wide as he realised someone was kicking her door down. He listened for a moment as he heard every word that passed between her and the intruder.

"You!......How did you......?" Tamara yelled.

"Never mind how I got in, I just did bitch." Her intruder growled threateningly.

"Get out!" Tamara hissed.

"No, I told you, you're going to take me back." The intruder shouted.

A slap sounded.

"No I'm not. Let me go. Get out. Leave me alone." Tamara yelled again.

Another slap sounded.

"Oh so you want it rough do you?" The intruder laughed as he spoke.

Two very hard slaps sounded.

"Just let me go and leave me arrrgh." Tamara screamed.

"Mon Dieu! What the hell is happening down there?" Sébastien exclaimed as he ran from his apartment and quickly made his way to the floor below. His eyes widened as he almost collided with the man he and Carlos had seen in Isobel's.

The man that laughed sadistically as he ran down the stairs.

___________


"I should never have let him in." He whispered to himself as he stood at his bedroom window watching his mother's nephew run back to his friend's car. He hated his cousin, hated him with a passion but was too scared of him and his mega-rich father to do anything about it.

"God knows what he's done to her." He shook his head.

"What else could I do? He threatened them." He nodded his head. "Right here in front of me he threatened to take them away from me if I didn't do what he asked." He dropped himself hard onto his bed and sighed heavily as the words repeated in his head.

"Do what I ask and keep me informed of what she gets up to or you will never see Arielle or Etienne again. I will make sure you are well paid."

"I can't go to the police. It would be a total waste of time." He shook his head sighed heavily as he looked at the list of ten numbers in his hand and remembered what he had been told. He wasn't bothered about the money, their lives were much more important than any amount of money.

"You'll be able to reach me on any of those numbers. Remember, she knows who you are. Make sure she doesn't see you."

He buried his face into his hands and whispered to himself again.

"I'm sorry for what I'm going to do, I really don't have a choice"

He reached into the drawer of his nightstand and looked at the box of sleeping aid tablets. He shook his head as he popped the capsules into his hand then into his mouth. He swallowed them down, buried his head into the pillows, pulled the sheet up to his hips and waited for sleep to come.

_______


He could hear Tamara crying as he approached her apartment door and quickly realised she was in the bathroom.

"Tamara." he called through the broken apartment door. "It's Sébastien."

Only an audible sob and the sound of the bathroom door being locked answered him.

"Tamara, are you all right?" He asked whilst knocking on the door. "I err......I heard some of what happened."

"Oh God." She sobbed again.

"Are you ok? Can I do anything to help?"

"I...I'm fine." She sniffed,

"Then open the door and show me you are."

"No! Go away. I told you I'm fine." She snapped

"I'm not moving until you show me you're ok." He replied, shaking his head vigorously and closing his eyes.

"You'll be there for a bloody long time then won't you?" She snapped again.

"Tamara, really, I only want to help." Sébastien replied gently.

"If you want to help so badly, find my mobile. I need to......to make a call." She hissed.

"It's ok. I'll call the police for you."

"No! No police."

"What?! Why not?"

"Because......Never mind. Just no police, please. Find my mobile, I think I left it on the piano."

Sébastien did as she requested and quickly returned. He knocked lightly on the door and told her he had what she wanted.

"Please don't try anything." She asked as she unlocked the door, opened it enough poke the right side of her face around the door. She extended her right arm through it and held out her hand.

Sébastien gasped loudly as he saw the finger marks on her right forearm.

"Mon Dieu! Tamara!" He exclaimed as he moved forward.

"Don't! Just give it me please." She shouted as she curled her fingers towards her palm.

He shook his head and swallowed hard as he placed the mobile in her hand then watched as she quickly pulled it back. He pursed his lips together as he heard the door being locked again. It sounded like she had leaned against the bathroom door as he heard something sliding down it. He listened as she made her call.

"Kaz."

"Tam! Is that you?"

"Yes it's me."

"Are you ok?"

"No I'm not. C...Can you come over?"

"What happened?"

"Gil got into the building somehow and kicked my door down."

"Did he hit you?"

"Yes."

"How did he get in?"

"I don't know."

"Is anyone with you?"

"Yes Sébastien is with me...well almost. He's waiting outside the bathroom door."

"Let him in. He won't hurt you."

"NO! I'm not letting him in."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want him to see me like this."

"Ok. Has he hurt you that bad?"

"Yes. I think so."

"I'll be over in ten minutes."

"Okay. Ten minutes."

Sébastien knocked again as he heard her finish. He sat himself on the floor in the doorway, rested his head against the door and spoke to her gently.

"Tamara, you and your friends weren't in 'Isobel's' nightclub tonight were you?"

"Yes. Why?" she sniffed loudly as she replied.

"Did you have an argument with a man just before you left?"

"How do you know about that?" she sobbed

"My friend Carlos and I were there too."

"Oh God." she whispered.

"Merde! I'm sorry Tamara. Carlos said he saw a man hitting a woman. If we had known you and your friends were part of it we would have stepped in to hel......."

"It's ok. You don't have to apologise. It wasn't your problem." She interupted him.

"Who was that man anyway?"

Tamara sniffed and sighed heavily before replying.

"Gil Bertrand is his name. He's my ex-boyfriend. My very ex-boyfriend."

"What did he want?"

"He......He wants me to be his girl again. I've told him twice today, I don't want to know."

"Is that why he hit you?"

"Basically. That, and he didn't like the way I spoke to him at lunchtime."

"Has he hit you before?"

"Uh huh. He erm.....He used to hit me quite often. He broke my nose twice. He's part of the reason I left the country for two years."

"Didn't the police do anything?"

"Huh! They did something all right. They gathered all the evidence after he beat me particularly bad one time and I spent three weeks in hospital, but when it came to the trial all the evidence and the statements conveniently disappeared and they had to let him go free. I don't want to go through anything like that ever again."

Sébastien sucked air slowly through his teeth and shook his head.

"I shouldn't have expected anything to come of the charges I made against him back then anyway." Tamara snapped.

"Why not? He should be in jail. He deserves to be punished."

"I know he does, but his father can always seem to make sure nothing like that happens to him."

"Why? Who is his father?"

"Henri Bertrand. He's something big in the city. Some sort of property tycoon or something. I've heard lots of rumours that he has the head of the police force in his pocket, but no-one has ever been able to prove it. I think that's why Gil gets away with a lot of shit."

Sébastien shook his head again as he listened to her sobbing once. He startled as he heard an unfamiliar female voice shouting from the broken doorway.

"Tam, where are you girl?"

________


"Excuse me Sébastien." He heard the brown haired woman who had entered Tamara's apartment ask as he raised himself from the floor. "Is she still in there?" She asked as she nodded at the bathroom door.

"Yes. I don't know how bad she is though, she refused to come out or let me in."

"It's ok. I'm just glad someone was here for her this time." She smiled in reply. Karen knocked on the door and spoke. "Tam, open up girl."

Sébastien and Karen waited patiently and listened as Tamara unlocked the door for a second time.

"Ok, let's see what the bastard has done this time." Karen said as she entered and re-locked the door. "Oh shit girl, that's going to leave one hell of a bruise."

Sébastien cursed audibly as he waited outside the bathroom. He jumped slightly as the bathroom door was unlocked again.

"Do me a favour. Go to the kitchen and wrap some ice in this." Karen commanded as she pushed a hand towel at him.

Sébastien did as she requested and quickly returned with the make-do icepack.

"Thanks. Now I think you'd better leave. She won't come out until you do." Karen informed him.

"Is she okay?" Sébastien asked with a worried expression on his face.

"She says so. I want to get her to hospital just to make sure, but she's refusing to go."

"Where is she going to stay tonight? She can't stay here, not with that like that." Sébastien asked as he nodded towards the wrecked door.

"Please don't worry. She's not staying here. She's coming home with me where I can keep an eye on her." Karen nodded and smiled.

"What about this Gil person?"

"It's ok he doesn't know where I......Oh shit, Tam!"

"It's all right. I'm ok. I only slipped." Tamara sniffed.

"You're sure?" Karen asked.

"Yes."

Karen poked her head out of the bathroom and asked Sébastien to leave again. He nodded his compliance and listened as Karen ordered a taxi. He pursed his lips hard together and punched the wall of the stairwell several times as he made his way back up to his apartment. He slumped down on his sofa and sat breathing hard with his elbows on his knees, his right fist punching hard into the palm of his left as he glared at his fireplace.

He didn't feel the tears rolling down his face.

"What the hell is wrong with you now?" Urs asked as they made their way into the recording studio.

"Nothing." Sébastien sighed heavily and shook his head.

"There's something wrong. You haven't said one word since we picked you up. And that doesn't look like nothing." David informed him as he showed Sébastien the knuckles of his own right hand.

"And I have never seen you looking so angry." Carlos stated.

Sébastien blew out a long breath and snatched his hand away from David's grasp before speaking.

"I just want to get hold of the bastard that hurt Tamara last night. I want to punch the crap out of that sonofabitch."

"Whoa! Hold on a minute. What do you mean? What the hell happened last night?" David questioned.

"Carlos and I went nightclubbing like we'd arranged. We were in 'Isobel's' when Carlos saw an argument between a group of women and a man. He saw the man slap one of the women just before they left."

"Is this true?" Urs questioned Carlos.

"Si. The man, whoever he was, hit the lady very hard across the face." Carlos grimmaced as he shook his head.

"The woman he hit was Tamara." Sébastien informed them all with closed eyes and tightly pursed lips .

"What?! No!" Carlos exclaimed then swore profusely in Spanish.

Sébastien nodded gently.

"How do you know that?" Urs questioned.

"We decided to leave and go home just after we missed catching up with the women. We only wanted to make sure they were all ok. Tamara was already home when I got back. I'd only been in for a few minutes when I heard someone kick her door down and storm into her apartment. I started to worry when I heard them shouting at each other. Then I heard the slapping and I got very worried when I heard her scream. I ran down to her floor and almost collided with the man that ran from her apartment. It was the same man Carlos and I had seen in the nightclub."

"You're sure about that?" Urs questioned.

Sébastien nodded. "I'll never forget that face as long as I live."

"Is she ok?" David asked.

"I...I think so. She locked herself in her bathroom and refused to come out while I was there. One of her friends, the one you liked the look of,...." He nodded at David as he spoke. "....came over and took her to her place for the night. I think he did some damage to her face." Sébastien shook his head and swallowed hard.

"How do you know that if you didn't see her?" Urs questioned.

"I was standing against my balcony windows when the taxi arrived. I saw her and her friend leaving, Tamara was holding something against the left side of her face."

"Mi Dios! Who is this bastardo?" Carlos asked.

"An ex-boyfriend. Gil Bertrand is his name. He wants Tamara back and it looks like he isn't taking no for an answer."

"How bad was she hurt?" Urs questioned.

"I'm not sure. Her friend told her she would have one hell of a bruise and I did get to see the awful ones he left on her right arm."

"That bad?" Carlos questioned as he watched Sébastien go very pale and swallow hard.

Sébastien nodded quickly, raised his hand to his mouth and swallowed hard again.

"She's reported him to the police hasn't she?" David queried.

Sébastien shook his head and sighed heavily. "She doesn't want them involved."

"Why not?" Carlos asked with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Because he's done something like that to her before and he got away with it. She says doesn't want to go through it again."

Urs, David and Carlos all swore profusely under their breaths and shook their heads.

"She's not here today is she?" Urs asked.

"Don't think so." Sébastien shook his head. "I think she's staying with her friend for a while."

"What happened to your hand?" David queried, reminding him about his knuckles.

"I punched the wall hard on my way back to up my apartment. It's nothing." Sébastien replied as he nonchalantly glanced at the graze. He nodded and gave his brothers a small smile as he placed the earphones over his ears. Only Urs saw him quickly knock a tear from his cheek.

________


"Tam! What the hell happened to you?" Martin asked as he watched Tamara perch herself on her stool.

"Nothing." Tamara replied quickly as she pulled her sleeve over the vicious finger bruises he'd seen on her right forearm.

"Oh my God!" he exclaimed as she bent to pick up her guitar. The large, dark sunglasses she'd had been wearing had slipped from her face and dropped to the floor.

Tamara lowered her head and began to cry quietly as Martin left the control room and made his way into the studio. He took her chin into his hands and gently lifted her face.

"Did Gil do this?" He questioned as he tilted his head to one side and shook it slightly.

Tamara sniffed, swallowed hard and nodded.

"The sonofabitch!!" he yelled as he made his way towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Tamara asked

"Where do you think? To find the bastard and give him a dose of the same." Martin replied.

"No! Please Martin. You'll only make things worse."

"But......"

Tamara shook her head.

"All right." Martin complied as he walked back over to her. "You have reported him to the police haven't you?"

Tamara shook her head and avoided making eye contact with him.

"Why no......?" Martin began. "Because of what happened last time?" He finished as he closed his eyes.

Tamara nodded.

"You shouldn't be here. You should be at home." He stated as he held her by the shoulders at arms length.

Tamara shook her head again. "That's where he attacked me."

"How did he get in? I thought security was good at your place now?"

She shrugged as she replied. "I don't know how he got in. I made sure the door was shut this time. Security is a lot better. Maybe he got another tenant to let him in, I don't know. You know what a charmer he can be when he wants something bad enough."

Martin huffed and nodded "Does anyone else know what happened?"

She swallowed hard and nodded.

"Who?"

"Sebastien." Tamara sniffed. "He heard everything. He tried to help after Gil ran off, but I wouldn't let him see me. I think he knows I got slapped, but not that Gil punched me and did this." She informed as she indicated her black eye. "Please don't tell him."

"You like him don't you?" Martin asked.

Tamara nodded, sniffed back her tears and gave him a weak smile.

"Okay, If that's what you want."

She nodded again.

"All right. I don't like it but I won't tell him." Martin replied as he gave her a tight hug. "You're sure you want to work?"

"Yes. I'll be able to take my mind off it for a while."

"Okay. Let's see what we have for today." He said as he searched through the songs they were due to record. Tamara stopped him as he pulled the sheetmusic for one song out and rolled it up.

"Put it back." she instructed as she kept hold of his arm.

"But......"

"Don't argue with me Martin. Put it back."

"You do know what this song is about?" he asked as he wagged the sheetmusic at her.

Tamara nodded as she replied.

"Yes. I'm not going to be hearing any of the words though am I?"

"No."

"So put it back."

"Okay, but you only have to say the word."

Tamara nodded and succeeded in smiling a little.

"Thanks Martin."

________


"What a day!" Sébastien exclaimed as he settled himself into the people carrier.

"Seb?" Urs questioned.

"What?"

"You were supposed to be taking Tamara out to dinner tonight weren't you?"

"Yes I was. But surely she wouldn't still be expecting to go.....?"

"Hadn't you better go and make sure? That is her walking across the river with the guitar case in her hand isn't it?" Urs continued as he pointed out of the vehicle.

"What?!" Sébastien exclaimed as he looked to where Urs indicated and asked their driver to stop as he recognised Tamara. The driver pulled over as soon as he could and Sébastien left the vehicle.

Tamara swallowed hard as she heard him shouting her name.

"Oh hello Sébastien." she said as he came up to her right side and stopped her from walking by grabbing at her right forearm.

"Sorry." Sébastien apologised as she hissed through gritted teeth.

Tamara shook her head. "It's ok."

"Here, let me take that." Sébastien asked as he reached for the guitar case. Tamara smiled as she allowed him to take it from her hand.

"Are you all right after last night?" Sébastien asked.

Keeping the left side of her face turned away from him she replied. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Did you change you mind and call the police last night?"

"No."

"Why not? Surely you're not going to let him get away with what he did to you."

Tamara lowered her head and shrugged her shoulders. She swallowed hard and bit her bottom lip hard as she replied.

"Look. I know what I should do, but really, what's the point after what happened last time. I don't want to be humiliated like that again."

"So what he did last night wasn't humiliating?" Sébastien questioned.

"Of course it was!" she snapped in reply. "I...I just can't face going through all that crap again." she continued as she raised her hand to her mouth to prevent a sob from escaping.

"I'm sorry." Sébastien apologised again as he watched her knock a tear from her cheek. "Have you been to work today?" he asked as he furrowed his brow.

"Yes. It helped take my mind off what happened last night, for a little while at least." Tamara nodded.

"Where are you going now?"

"Home." She smiled.

"To your apartment?!!" Sébastien asked in astonishment.

"Yes." Tamara smiled again.

"What about the door?"

"Karen had it fixed for me." Tamara replied as she held up a new set of keys. "She's made sure it's one Gil will never be able to kick down again."

"Good. Tamara about tonight......" Sébastien began.

"Oh yes. You were supposed to be taking me to dinner weren't you?"

Sébastien nodded.

"Well obviously we can't do that now." Tamara continued and tried to smile. "Another time?"

"Yes another time." Sébastien replied as he raked his hand through his hair and returned her smile. "Do you mind if I walk with you?"

"No I don't mind. To tell you the truth I would be glad of the company. No-one but Martin has spoken to me today."

"Does Martin know what happened?"

Tamara nodded.

"What did he say?"

"Not much. He just wanted to go and give Gil some of the same."

"He wasn't the only one." Sébastien mumbled under his breath as he looked down at the ground.

"Sorry. Did you say something?"

"Non." He shook his head as he snatched it back up to face her. "Martin has seen what Gil has done to you then?"

Tamara nodded once more. "I didn't want him to, but my glasses slipped off and he saw everything."

"He hurt you quite badly, didn't he?"

"Yes. Karen, that's my friend you saw last night, thinks it could take as long as two weeks for my face to heal."

"How would she know that?" Sébastien asked as he furrowed his brow and shook his head.

"She used to be a nurse. She's seen more than her share of ........."

"She's seen more than her share of what?"

"Never mind" Tamara shook her head.

"Please tell me." Sébastien asked as he smiled gently at her.

Tamara shook her head again.

"No!" She shouted as Sébastien stopped walking and moved to remove the sunglasses. "Please don't." she asked as she raised her hand and gently pulled his away. She kept hold of his hand and squeezed it tightly as he spoke.

"Ok. I'm sorry. It's really none of my business. I shouldn't have tr......" Sébastien sighed and shook his head.

"It's all right." Tamara smiled and finally released his hand as she sniffed back her tears.

Tamara kept the left side of her face turned away from him as they continued to walk together. They soon arrived at their apartment block and made their way in. They smirked at each other and shook their heads as they saw the sign still on the lift. They huffed a laugh as they moved to the stairwell and quickly made their way up to the third floor where Sébastien escorted Tamara up to the door. She swallowed hard, shook her head and glared at the floor when she saw the large bunch of white roses lying in her doorway. She retrieved them and huffed a laugh as she read the card.

Tam,
I'm sorry about last night.
I love you.
G. XXX

"He's got some bloody nerve." she hissed as she rammed the offending gift down the rubbish shoot.

"Are you going to be ok on your own?" Sébastien asked as she unlocked the new door.

"I'll be fine. Besides I won't be alone all night. I'm expecting someone any minute." she informed him as she checked the time.

"I'll leave you to it then." Sébastien said as he smiled at her. "Err...One thing before I go. Are you at the studios tomorrow?"

"Until lunchtime, then Kaz and I are having a girly afternoon together. Why?"

"I was just wondering how you would be getting home?"

"Oh! The usual way." she replied as she looked down at her feet.

"Do you walk everywhere?"

"No. I have been known to run, especially when it rains." she laughed as she replied.

Sébastien laughed and smiled at her again as her intercom buzzed.

"Can you wait for one minute while I answer?" she asked

Sébastien nodded.

"Eric, C'est vous?"

"Oui Chéri." replied the smooth French voice at the main door.

"Entrer babe. You'll have to use the stairs because the lift is out of order."

"Encore?!" Eric grumbled.

She huffed a laugh as she pushed the button that allowed him access to the building. "Why did you want to know how I would be getting home?" She asked as she turned back to Sébastien.

"I...I would like to walk you home again some time." Sébastien replied and smiled hopefully.

"Oh. Ok." Tamara smiled in return. "Sébastien......" she began.

"Oui." Sébastien smiled again.

"Thanks for being there for me last night." she finished as she dropped a kiss on his cheek before quickly closing the door.

_______


Sébastien smiled and touched the cheek where she had kissed him as he stood on his balcony listening to her say goodbye to Eric after he had finished tuning her piano. It had only the briefest and the lightest of touch of her lips, but it had affected him deeply. He had caught a slight hint of her perfume when they had been introduced to each other. When she dropped the kiss on his cheek he had breathed in deeply and smelled chocolate and vanilla. He wondered what the perfume was. He had stood outside her closed apartment door for a few moments with a broad smile on his face. He didn't move until he heard the stairwell door open. He still had a smile on his face as he passed the blind man and his dog as he made his way through the door to make his way to his own apartment.

He leaned against the railing and listened intently as she played "Tue Sei" then "Bridge Over Troubled Water". He smiled again as the final note faded away and shook his head as he realised she could play the piano even better than she could the guitar. He left the balcony doors open as she continued to play. He made himself comfortable on his sofa and listened to her play as he gradually drifted off to sleep.

________


Two weeks pass quickly. Tamara's face has healed well.

Sébastien woke earlier than he normally did and insisted on walking her to work and back home. He refused to take 'no' for an answer. He asked Martin to find a way to delay her on two days, because they were working a little late and he wanted to make sure she got home safe. Sébastien spotted Gil following them on several occasions but didn't say anything to Tamara.

They talked a lot, sometimes until the early hours of the morning, telling each other what they liked, what they didn't like. Talking about their lives, hobbies, music.

She helped him to practice his English, especially the contractions that he had a little difficulty getting his head around. He under-stood that the contraction of 'have not' was 'haven't' but how the hell did 'will not' become 'won't'? That question even stumped Tamara and they laughed about it.

They played the piano separately and together. They played all sorts of songs, from classical through boogey-woogey to ballads, from rock and roll to heavy rock. She smiled as sat on top of the piano playing her guitar while he played piano and sang to her. He tried to persuade her to sing for him or even with him, only to see her blush bright red and shake her head vigorously. He managed to get her to do it eventually and she blushed even redder when he took her face in his hands and told her she had a beautiful voice. He bit his lip and quickly dropped his hands to his knees when he realised how close his face was to hers and that he had almost kissed her. She didn't here him whisper 'Non, not yet' to himself as he did so.

"You want me to sing for who?" She asked him one night while looking at him very wide-eyed.

"Simon. Simon Cowell."

"Are you out of your tree?" She asked him.

"Huh?" He asked as he looked at her quizically.

"It means are you nuts, mad, insane, crazy, deranged." She informed him. "No way, absolutely no way." She shook her head vigorously. "Subject closed." She told him as she clamped her hands over her ears and walked away from him. "La la la! I can't hear you." She said melodically and very loudly, walking away from him as she did so while he continued to try to persuade her. He laughed as she did so and eventually gave up trying.

She showed him some techniques he didn't know about when it came to playing the guitar. He sighed happily and smiled every time she touched him. He wasn't surprised that she could play every type of guitar and was extremely good with a Spanish one. His eyes moistened with tears as she played an instrumental version of "An Evening In May" one night. He watched every tiny expression her face made as she played with her eyes closed.

As much as he wanted to let her know how he felt about her, he thought it would be too soon and decided to hold back for a while. He decided he would let her recover from what Gil had done, then take her out to dinner like he had planned, then tell her how he felt.

She had refused, point blank, to meet Urs, Carlos and David until her face had completely healed no matter how much he tried to persuade her otherwise. She smiled politely and allowed each man to greet her with a gentle kiss on the cheek as he finally introduced her to them.

"So when do we get to meet your friends?" Carlos asked as he raised his eyebrows.

"You're interested in them?!" Tamara questioned with surprise.

"Seb didn't say anything?" Urs questioned whilst glaring at Sébastien.

"Err No." Tamara shook her head.

"Sorry! My bad." Sebastien apologised as he held his hands up and pulled his face into a wide-eyed grimmace. "Bad Sébastien. Bad, Bad Sebby." He laughed as he tapped the back of his own left hand.

"Urs is very interested in the one you call Arry." Carlos informed her with a quick flick of his eyebrows.

"Oh! Err... They erm.....They didn't think you were." Tamara shook her head.

"And we thought you were all only interested in Seb." David laughed.

"Oh really!" Tamara laughed loudly as she watched Urs and Carlos playfully punching each other back and forth on the arm. "So who would you be interested in Carlos?"

"You." Carlos began with a devilish smile on his face and one raised eyebrow.

Tamara grunted a laugh and shook her head as she spoke to Sébastien in French.

"Oh my God! What's he like? You're right Seb. He's one hell of a flirt. He's almost as bad as Sue."

Sébastien laughed as he nodded in reply.

"What did she say?" Carlos asked.

Sébastien laughed again as he translated.

"Who is Sue?" David questioned as Carlos scowled at Sébastien, unsure that he'd translated correctly.

"Sorry?! What do you mean who is Sue?" Tamara replied in surprise again. "I thought you would all know who Sue is. She's Martin's cousin. She has dark, chocolate brown hair almost as long as mine."

"You'll have to be careful then Carlos." Urs teased.

"Ahhh." Tamara nodded and smiled as Carlos elbowed Urs in the stomach. "That leaves David, Seb, Karen and me."

"No it doesn't." Urs informed her. "It only leaves David and Karen."

"What?!" Tamara questioned as she stared at Sébastien wide-eyed.

She smiled softly at him as he blushed bright red and tried to avoid making eye contact with her. He bit his bottom lip gently as he didn't quite manage it. Sébastien scowled playfully as he watched Urs whisper something in Tamara's ear whilst looking at him with a smile on his face.

"Oh!" she exclaimed and nodded as he pulled away from her.

"Does that mean you like Karen then David?"

"If that's the lady with the long brown hair then yes." David replied as he smiled broadly.

Tamara nodded and smiled again.

"Ok. Let me think. When?" She tapped her finger to her lips as she thought for a minute. "Oh yes. I know when." Tamara nodded to herself then laughed loudly when she saw four confused faces looking at her.

________


"What did Urs say when he whispered in your ear?" Sébastien asked as they walked arm in arm across the river, the same way they had walked for the passed two weeks.

"He said that you had liked me since the day you helped me with my luggage, but that you hadn't said anything because you thought Arry was a man and that he was my boyfriend." She laughed.

"Oh." Sébastien nodded and laughed with her..

"So why didn't you say anything after you found out about Arry?" Tamara shook her head as she spoke.

"I thought you might have guessed and I didn't want to push it too hard after what happened with Gil." Sébastien replied as he stopped walking and gently pulled Tamara round to face him.

"Oh! And I thought you were just being the gentleman I'd heard you were." Tamara informed him as she felt his arms encircle her waist.

"So when do my friends get to meet yours." Sébastien asked, placing the emphasis on 'do'.

Tamara leaned forward and whispered what she was planning.

"What do you think?" She laughed as she pulled back.

"Sneaky." Sébastine laughed. "Very sneaky."

Tamara shook her head. "Payback." She wrinkled her nose and smiled. "Especially on Sue."

Sébastien nodded his head, smiled at her and gently pulled her closer. He sighed as she linked her arms around his neck. He closed his eyes and heard her gasp quietly as he brushed her lips with his own in a first tentative kiss. He breathed deeply as she allowed him to deepen the kiss and let it linger for long time. She stood blinking rapidly and breathing hard in his arms as he released her.

"Are you ok?" He asked breathlessly as she wobbled slightly.

"Huh? Oh! I'm fine." Tamara replied with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"If we're going out for dinner tonight we'd better hurry up and get back home." Sébastien reminded her as he checked his watch.

Tamara nodded as she smiled. Sébastien linked the fingers of his left hand with those of her right, held her hand tight and smiled happily as they walked home.

_______


"Which one, which one, which one?" Tamara asked herself as she looked at the three dresses that lay on her bed. They were all of a similar design, a-symetrical halter-necked tiered mini dress and all made of the same material. They would all show her legs off to their best advantage. She picked up the blue one and frowned when she saw a small snag in the back of the silk.

"Not that one then." She grumbled, tossing it back into the wardrobe as she did so.

She picked up the cream one next and blushed. The last time she had worn that one the clasp at the back of the halter had come undone. Only a strapless bra had saved her dignity on that occassion. That dress was thrown back into the wardrobe with a giggle.

"Looks like its you." She spoke to the final dress as she inspected it and smiled when she saw that it was in perfect condition.

She hung it up on the wardrobe door and headed for her bathroom. She sang quietly to herself as she showered. She giggled as she remembered what she had done when she walked through her apartment door.

She had closed it slowly as she watched Sébastien walk through the stairwell door, then she had turned and ran on the spot excitedly as she screamed 'Yesssss! Finally!".

She touched her lips. She still couldn't believe how gentle the kiss had been. Gil had never kissed her like that. He always kissed her rou....

"What are you doing? You stupid girl." She asked herself outloud as she stopped herself thinking about Gil. "Don't even think about him, not tonight."

She shook her head as she turned off the shower and reached for a towel, quickly dried herself off and headed for the bedroom. She looked at her wet hair and reached for the hairdryer, it would hang lose tonight. She applied a light make-up. She never did like that heavy look some women seemed to go for. She preferred the natural look. She dressed quickly and made sure the clasp at her neck fastened firmly. She sprayed a little of her new favourite perfume at her neck, cleavage and on her wrist and smiled as the scent of chocolate and vanilla hit her nostrils. She fixed a small pair of diamond studs to her ears and solitaire diamond necklace was hung at her throat. Her best dress watch was placed on her left wrist and a narrow diamond bracelet was fastened around her right. She slipped her feet into the evening sandals and had just finished fastening the strap around her right ankle when she heard him knock at the door.

She moved quickly then stood at the door to compose herself. She opened it slowly and smiled when she saw Sébastien standing in the hallway looking like a GQ model. He dressed in a dark grey suit and a light grey shirt with the same coloured tie.

She giggled as she pushed his bottom jaw up to close his mouth.

"Ready?" He asked as he held a slightly bent left arm.

She nodded and pulled the apartment door firmly shut behind her. She smiled when he dropped a quick kiss on her cheek as she linked her arm through his.

_________


"Have you seen who's followed us in?" Sébastien asked as they took their seats in Amores Italian Restaurant.

"Yes I saw him. Just ignore him." Tamara placated him.

"I'm just wondering how he knew we would be here tonight. How the hell did he get in? It took me ages to book this table."

"It wouldn't be hard for him to get in here, his uncle owns the place." Tamara replied.

"What?! Tamara, I'm sorry. If I'd have known....."

"No, don't be sorry." Tamara smiled, shook her head and placed a finger on his lips to stop him talking. "It's ok, his uncle is over there," She paused as she nodded towards the bar area. "I don't think he would start anything in here. Not while his uncle is around. Oh shit!"

"What's wrong?" Sébastien asked as she bit her lip.

"Phillipe is on his way over here." Tamara leaned closer to him and whispered. "He can be a terrible flirt when he wants to be. He would make Carlos look like a rank amatuer if you put them in the same room together."

Tamara fidgeted in her seat as she watched Phillipe Devereux walk towards the table where she and Sébastien were seated. She smiled nervously as he spoke.

"Good evening Tamara. How are you?"

"I'm fine thank you Phillipe." Tamara smiled in reply.

"Tamara, you look stunning tonight, that dress is beautiful, not as beautiful as the woman wearing it though."

Tamara shook her head at him and blushed bright red as he continued to speak. "You are a very naughty girl." Phillipe wagged his finger at her.

"Why? What have I done wrong?" Tamara laughed.

"You did not bring your guitar with you. You know how Marella loves to hear you play."

Tamara threw her head back slightly and laughed again.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't know we were coming here tonight." She shook her head and smiled. "It's her birthday soon isn't it?" She asked.

"Oui. In a month's time." Phillipe nodded.

"I'll see what I can't do for that." Tamara winked at him.

"I heard about what Gil did to you a couple of weeks ago, the bastard. You are well now?" He asked in his gravelly French accent as he took hold of her right hand and gently kissed the back of it.

"Still the charmer aren't you Phillipe? I'm very well now, thank you for asking." Tamara blushed as she returned his smile.

"You have seen him over in the corner?" Phillipe asked.

Tamara nodded slowly.

"Do not worry, I will keep him away from you and your......" Phillipe's eyes widened as he looked at Sébastien. "I will keep him well away." he finished as he winked at Tamara and quickly walked back to his previous position at the bar.

"Thank you." Tamara mouthed as she watched him walk away. "So much for staying anonymous tonight." She leaned over the table and whispered to Sébastien again. "Phillipe recognised who you were straight away. He didn't even give me chance to introduce you to each other."

"It's a good job I asked for a table in a very quiet corner then. Phillipe is right by the way, you look amazing. That shade of red looks really good on you." Sébastien smiled

"Thank you." Tamara blushed in reply.

"I have a question though." Sébastien furrowed his brow.

"What?"

"Why is a Frenchman running an Italian restaurant?"

"Oh Marella, Phillipe's wife, she's Italian and she does most of the cooking for this place." Tamara informed him.

Sébastien nodded and continued to smile.

Tamara smiled and laughed with him as they ate their meal.

"You're not really going to eat that are you?" Sébastien asked as she dipped a ring of Calamari into it's spicy tomato sauce.

"What? Of course. Here try some?"

"Urgh! No way." Sébastien yelled. He held his hand over his mouth as she put the piece she'd offered to him into her mouth.

She giggled as she watched the expression on Sébastien's face.

"Yeuch!!" he spat as he shuddered.

"Better than snails or frog's legs." She laughed.

Tam occasionally sneaked a glance in Gil's direction and relaxed a little when she realised he didn't appear to be watching them. She smiled and shook her head when she spotted Phillipe winking at her as they finished their meal.

"I have to go to the bathroom." she whispered as the last of their dishes were cleared away. "I won't be a minute."

Sébastien nodded and smiled at her as the waiter handed him the bill. He didn't see that Phillipe had disappeared into the kitchen or that Gil had followed Tamara towards the bathroom.

___________


Tamara hummed to herself as she left the bathroom. Her eyes flew wide as she saw Gil storming towards her.

"Come here you." Gil hissed as he grabbed hold her left wrist.

She tried to stop him pulling and hissed in pain as she tried to wrench her hand from his tightening grip.

"Have you changed your mind yet?"

"No and I'm not going to either." Tamara growled at him.

"Then maybe this will do the job for you." Gil sneered as he spun her round to face him, pulled him tight against him and kissed her hard. Tamara glared at him and wiped her mouth as her released the kiss.

"Let me g....." She yelled as he clamped his right hand over her mouth and pushed her hard against the wall. She swallowed bile as she felt his free hand slide down her thigh to pull the hem of her dress up.

"Who's that man you are with tonight? I've seen his face somewhere, but can't remember his name." Gil demanded, his hand slipping between the red silk and her skin. Tamara swallowed hard, placed her hands on his chest and tried with everything that she had to push him off her as she felt his manhood pressing against her left thigh. She retched as his hand moved over her butt cheek and he squeezed it hard.

"Tell me!" Gil demanded while he ran his tongue slowly up the side of her neck to her ear. "What's the matter Tam? I thought you liked it rough. You did a couple of years ago." He sneered. Tamara shook her head and she felt the sting of tears. "Tell me!" he demanded again as he released her mouth, pushed his body hard against her again and pinned her to the wall.

"No!" Tamara yelled.

"You're seeing him aren't you?"

"So what if I am."

"Sleeping with him too I bet." Gil hissed.

"It's none of your business if I am." Tamara spat at him.

Gil grunted and brought his face close to hers and whispered in her ear. "You'll be back in my bed soon. Whore!"

Tamara glared at him hard and pursed her lips at the insult as she yelled at him. "You keep dreaming Gil, because that's the only way I'll ever be in your bed again. In your dreams."

"Don't you dare talk to me like that." Gil sneered at her.

She flinched and closed her eyes as Gil raised his hand ready to strike.

"Take your hands off her!!"

She blew out a deep breath as she heard Sébastien's voice at her side. She opened her eyes to see Sébastien holding Gil's arm back and Gil sneering at him in disbelief.

"Are you all right Tamara?" Sébastien asked as he pushed Gil's arm roughly away from her.

"Fine." Tamara nodded. She swallowed hard as she saw the look of recognition in Gil's eyes and the evil smirk on his face.

"You'd better watch your back Izambard" Gil hissed as he brought himself face-to-face with Sébastien.

"I'm not scared of you." Sébastien replied, balling up his fists ready to strike and giving Gil a quick look up and down.

"Really. Your eyes say different and you should be scared, shouldn't he Tam?" Gil sneered as he continued to stare into Sébastien's eyes.

Tamara held her breath again as she tried, with very little success, to pull Sébastien away from Gil. She blew her breath our in one long blow as she heard Phillipe's voice coming down the narrow hallway.

"I'm sorry Tamara. I had an urgent problem with a member of staff to sort out and I forgot to ask Mario to watch him." Phillipe apologised as he came running down the corridor, closely followed by Mario. "I'm so sorry."

"It's ok Phillipe." Tamara replied.

They watched as Gil was dragged roughly away by Phillipe and the big Italian.

Tamara knew that Gil knew better than to try anything with his uncle or Mario, both men had served their countries with distinction in the Army and knew exactly how to deal with him.

She smiled secretly as she remembered what they had done to him when they had seen him hit her just across the road from the restaurant. She and Gil had had a small argument, that he managed to blow out of all proportion, as they prepared to leave the restaurant. He waited until they were across the road before he hit her and told her she was dumped. Phillipe and Mario had ran across the road and dragged him back into the restaurant kicking screaming. She never did find out exactly what they did to him, but she saw him a few days later and he had one hell of a black eye.

Tamara bit her lip as she continued to watch Phillipe and Mario dragging Gil towards the furthest end of the corridor. She gasped when she saw that Gil was keeping his eyes firmly fixed on Sébastien.

"What's so funny?" Sébastien asked as he heard her grunt a little laugh.

"He'll hate it in there." She giggled.

"Why? What is it?" Sébastien asked.

"The fish chiller. There's fresh fish in there already gutted and prepared except most of them have still got there heads on. I can just imagine his face as he watches all those eyes looking at him. He hates to see that sort of thing, it scares him to death." Tamara laughed again.

"How long will Phillipe keep him in there?" Sébastien asked with a laugh of his own.

"An hour, maybe even two."

"Won't Gil's father have something to say about it?"

"No, Gil won't say a word." Tamara shook her head as she spoke. "He'll be too embarressed to admit that Phillipe could do that to him. Come on let's go."

Tamara breathed deeply as they left the restaurant.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine." Tamara nodded as they strolled sedately back to their apartment building, Sébastien's arm around her waist holding her close to him, pausing now and again to kiss each other. It took them well over an hour to complete a thirty minute walk.

________


He shook his head as he looked at the mess and devastation he'd caused. He hadn't wanted to do it. Only more threats had driven him to it. He shoved the pass-key into his pocket and sighed heavily.

He stood on her balcony and looked up to the one two floors above. It had been an easy descent, climbing back up was going to be a little more difficult but he knew he could manage it. He sniffed as he reached the fourth floor balcony, rubbed his hands together then proceeded to climb to his own balcony on the fifth floor. He walked into his lounge, removed the gloves, closed the doors firmly behind him and sat on his sofa. He switched on his tv, flicked through the channels, found something slightly interesting to watch, slumped back into the seat and slowly, very slowly fell asleep.

__________


"Hey! I'm trying to concentrate here." Tamara exclaimed as she tried to enter her passcode while Sébastien pushed her hair off her shoulder and gently began to kiss the left side of her neck. She shuddered as she felt his hot breath in her ear as he nibbled her earlobe. She bit her lip gently as she finally entered the correct code and they quickly made their way up the stairs.

"Will you pleeease stop for one minute?" She asked as her keys dropped to the floor.

"Non." Sébastien replied playfully as she retrieved the keys and unlocked the door.

She giggled as Sébastien held her by the hips and pushed her gently over the threshold. They both retched at the smell that greeted them.

"What the hell?" Tamara yelled as she clamped her hand over her mouth and nose.

"What the hell is that smell?" Sébastien asked as he wrinkled his nose at the foul odour eminating from the direction of the kitchen.

"Garbage. Rotten garbage and bleach I think." Tamara replied as they slowly made their way in.

She turned her head to the right and blew out a long breath as she saw what had been done in there. The contents of every cupboard lay either smashed or scattered over the floor. The refrigerator had been similarly emptied and tipped forward with its doors open. The rotten contents of a garbage bag had been thrown over every worktop. She shook her head as they left the kitchen and moved to the bathroom.

The shower screen lay smashed to pieces on the floor. The toilet was completely blocked with toilet roll and totally unusable. The stack of towels lay slashed to ribbons in the sink. She took a deep breath as they moved to the bedroom.

She sniffed back her tears and bit her top lip as she saw that the entire contents of her wardrobe and drawers lay on the floor, cut to shreds and covered in very strong bleach. They both wiped away the tears that the bleach had induced as they continued to survey the bedroom.

The bed itself lay on its side, the mattress and covers in tatters. The bedroom window had been smashed from the inside and very little glass was left in the frame. Her tears almost fell as she looked at Sébastien. She took another deep breath as they made their way into the lounge.

She saw the sofas and coffee table in ruins as she opened the door. The balcony doors undamaged, but wide open and swinging back and forth in the slight breeze.

"Oh God! No! No! No!" She sobbed as she saw the wreckage of what had been her piano. She gulped audibly as she tracked her finger down one of the axe marks.

"Mon Dieu!" she heard Sébastien shout behind her.

She finally allowed her tears to fall as she turned around and saw the word that had been scrawled in bright red paint above the fire.

SLUT


It screamed at her.

Sébastien watched her as she turned back to the piano, retrieved a broken part and tried to put it back together.

"Leave it." Sébastien emplored as he gently pulled her away and held her close to him while she sobbed in his arms. "Come with me, you can't stay here." he whispered as encouraged her back towards the door. Tamara nodded, wrapped her arms around him, buried her face into the side of his neck and allowed him to lead her away.

________


"Huh? No. It's not Gil's way to do something like that himself and besides he was in the restaurant all night." Tamara replied as she sat down on Sébastien's sofa and attempted to dry her eyes.

"Somone he knows then?" Sébastien queried.

Tamara nodded as she flipped her mobile open. "Probably. Shit!" she yelled as she dropped it onto the sofa beside her.

"What's wrong?" Sébastien asked as he saw the disappointed expression on her face.

"The battery's dead."

"Who were you going to call?" Sébastien questioned again as he squatted in front of her.

"One of the girls, but I can't now. I don't know any of their mobile or home numbers off-hand and I really don't want to go around banging on doors at this time of night." She replied as she sniffed and shook her head. "Oh look at the mess I've made of your shirt with my silly blubbering." She exclaimed as she tried to wipe the make-up stains away with her fingers.

"It's ok." Sébastien smiled as he moved her hand away and held it for a while.

Tamara sighed heavily and tried to smile in return.

"Are you going to call the police?" Sébastien asked still holding her hand.

"Oh I suppose I might as well, but I don't expect anything to come of it."

Sébastien listened as she made the call then returned the handset to its stand.

"The question now is where do I stay tonight? If I can't......" Tamara began.

"You can stay here." Sébastien interupted her.

"Thanks, but I can't ask you to do that." she replied as she cupped the left side of his face with her right hand.

"You didn't ask. I offered." Sébastien began as he wrapped his arms around her again. "Anyway, if you're here, at least I'll know your safe." he continued as he touched her forehead with his own.

"Ok, but I get the sofa." Tamara consented.

Sébastien shook his head and scowled slightly as he spoke. "Non, I get the sofa."

"But......"

"No arguments." he insisted as he placed his index finger on her lips.

"Ok." Tamara replied through her tears. She sniffed and swallowed hard as Sébastien held her close to him and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"I've told you twice already. I made sure those doors were firmly locked." Tamara yelled in French at the officer that had accused her of leaving her doors unlocked while she went out.

"Well there's no sign of forced entry." he replied.

Tamara shook her head and threw her hands in the air.

"See, I told you it would be a waste of time." She said as she stood next to Sébastien.

Sébastien watched the middle-aged, slightly overweight officer carefully. He noticed that he was looking Tamara up and down, sneering at her and laughing to himself.

"Does he know you?" He asked.

Tamara nodded.

"Yes he does. He's the idiot..." she informed in French "that investigated when Gil put me in hospital."

"I don't like the way he's looking at you."

"Oh ignore him, that's exactly how he looked at me last time."

Tamara shook her head and raised her eyes skyward as the officer told her that, as there was no sign of forced entry, there was very little he could do. He would, he said very sarcastically, however, send a forensics officer over in the morning to see if there was any recoverable evidence.

In the meantime, she would have to leave things as they are.

________


"What? Oh yeah I'm fine." Tamara replied as she sat on Sébastien's sofa with her face in her hands. "I just want to go and tidy that mess up downstairs. I can't get the smell out of my nose. I feel like its got into everything I'm wearing." She sniffed at her clothes and quickly realised that she was right she smelled like rotten garbage. "Do you mind if I use your shower?" she asked as she stood up.

"No, go ahead." Sébastien replied.

"Thanks. Oh! Slight problem." Tamara said as she bit her lip.

"What?" Sébastien asked with a shake of his head.

"What am I going to wear? All my clothes are ruined, this all I have left and it stinks to high heaven." She shook her head as she pulled the evening dress away from her stomach.

"Oh right. Err I think I have some old shirts and maybe a pair of jeans somewhere. I'll have a look while you shower." Sébastien informed her as he stood up and walked across the room in front her.

"Thanks." She sighed heavily. "Seb...."

"Yes, what's wrong?" He asked as he saw the worried expression on her face.

"Erm I don't really know how to say this, but........" Tamara said as she bit her bottom lip and grimmaced.

"What?" He asked quickly. "Oh No! Please No!" He whispered inaudibly as he swallowed hard and blinked quickly to stop his tears falling.

He knew what was coming next. How many times had he seen that exact look and heard that tone before? He was going to have to hear those words again. The words that would break his heart for sure this time. He drew in a deep breath and tried to brace himself for what he was about to hear.

"Seb! What's wrong?" Tamara asked as her eyes widened at the sad expression she saw suddenly spread across his face.

He just managed to force a quick "Nothing" out for a reply as he screwed his eyes tight together.

"Are you crying?"

"No err..." He shook his head quickly and sniffed quietly. "No. No, I'm not crying." He insisted as he turned away from her and wiped his eyes. "I'm just a little overtired, that's all. It's been a busy few weeks."

"Turn around and look at me then." She asked softly.

Sébastien shook his head and tried to walk away from her only to feel her gentle hand on his arm. He hung his head and breathed deeply as she gently pulled him around to face her.

"Please tell me what's wrong." Tamara insisted as she hooked her finger under bottom jaw and lifted his chin.

"Just.....Just say it Tam. Say it and get it over with." Sébastien replied.

"Say what?" Tamara asked as she looked at him confused.

"That you don't feel the same way about me as I do about you." He sighed heavily as he spoke.

"Seb, I do...." Tamara began as she shook her head.

"I knew it. I love you, but you don't love me. Typical. Nothing ever changes." He huffed as he moved his head from her gentle hold. "Mr Lonely forever, that's what I'll be." He continued as he rammed his fists into his trouser pockets, moved away from her again, swallowed hard and looked skyward.

"Wha...What did you say?" Tamara asked as she smiled and her eyes widened again.

"I think I said it plain enough, Mr Lonely for...." He began.

"No, no, no. The first bit." Tamara stopped him.

"I said...." He paused to try and compose himself "I said I love you Tam." Sébastien informed her again with an audible sniff as he quickly turned to face her then dropped his chin to his chest.

"What's this all about? Please tell me." Tamara requested moving herself back in front of him.

"Oh It's nothing, I'm just......" He shook his head and looked upwards trying to avoid making eye contact with her. "I'm just feeling sorry for myself because I've been alone for such a long time."

"Alone!" Tamara exclaimed. "When you've got Urs, David and Carlos to keep you.........Oh you mean...erm female company don't you?" She continued as she saw his head drop and the exasparated look he gave her.

Sébastien closed his eyes slowly and nodded as he continued to speak.

"It's all right for them, they've all had meaningful relationships recently. Not that I was jealous, I wasn't. It was never that." He shook his head quickly. "I was happy that they had someone. I've just had to sit back and watch them be happy for God knows how long. I really thought I'd found that special someone this time and now you're going tell me it's over before it's even started." He sniffed loudly.

She shook her head at him again as she took his face in her hands.

"Aww Seb! You big dummy." Tamara continued as she saw his tears finally make their escape. She huffed a laugh.

"What's so funny?!" He snapped at her while he quickly wiped his eyes.

"You are you big dope. If you had let me finish, I was going to say that I'm not the only one who could do with a shower." Tamara smiled as tears glistened in her eyes. She kissed him very gently on the lips and raked her fingers through his hair as she finished speaking.

Sébastien sniffed at his own clothes.

"Oh right! Sorry!" He exclaimed and gave her a weak smile as he smelled rotten garbage.

"Come here you idiot." Tamara instructed, beckoning him a little closer with her right index finger as she spoke. "I love you too." She whispered in his right ear as he reached her.

"Really?" He questioned. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better?" Sébastien questioned again.

"No. I'm not. I wouldn't do that to you." She shook her head and looked at him softly as she laid her hands on his forearms. "I do love you. Do you honestly think I would kiss you like I have tonight if I didn't?" Tamara smiled, shook her head and slowly moved her hands up his arms to link her arms around his neck as she spoke.

"No." Sébastien sighed and sniffed in reply. He shook his head. "No. I don't think you would."

"I love you Sé...bas...ti...en." She said as she kissed him with each syllable, then kissed him long and deep as she finished.

He sighed deeply, slowly closed his eyes as he returned the kiss and held her tight. He breathed deeply as he burrowed his face into her neck and sighed contentedly as she slowly ran her fingers through his hair.

"Now, I think we'd better get that shower." Tamara said as she pulled away from him slightly.

"Ok you go first and I'll find those......."

Sébastien's eyes widened as he saw Tamara gently biting her bottom lip and shaking her head as she gently pulled him towards the bathroom by his tie.

________


He smiled softly and breathed deeply as he watched her sleeping beside him. She had smelled of chocolate and vanilla again earlier in the evening. He wondered the broken bottle of 'Angel' perfume that he'd seen on her bedroom floor was her favourite. Now she smelled of his shower products, but only a little. Enough to get rid of the smell of rotten garbage. He smiled a little more as she wriggled against him. He curled his fingers in her still damp hair and shivered as he felt her breath across his chest.

"Morning." he whispered as she opened her eyes slightly.

"Already?! " Tamara yawned as she snuggled her head deeper into his shoulder and draped her arm across his stomach.

"Well sort of." Sébastien replied as he pushed her onto her back and rolled himself gently on to her.

"It's still quite dark." Tamara groaned as he lay there softly kissing her neck, slowly working his way around to her throat then down to her upper chest.

"This is a very funny looking sofa you're sleeping on you know." She joked as he stopped kissing her for a moment and stared lovingly into her eyes.

"Yes, but it's a very comfortable one." Sébastien replied with a smile as he ran his right index finger in a straight line down from her forehead over her nose to her lips. He paused as she kissed the tip of his finger lightly. She groaned in her throat as his finger continued down over her throat and chest. She gasped as he moved further down between her breasts. She laughed loudly as he ran his hand over one side of her abdomen and skimmed the left side of her waistline.

"Oh so someone is ticklish just there." He laughed as he touched the same spot again.

"No I'm not!" Tamara shook her head quickly in denial.

Sébastien skimmed her waist again and she laughed loudly once more.

"Liar." he whispered in her ear.

"I'm not." Tamara shuddered and snorted a laugh as he touched her again.

"Are so." Sébastien laughed in reply.

"All right! All right. Yes I am. Very." Tamara giggled.

"What about this side?" Sébastien asked as he gently stroked her right side.

"Stop it!" Tamara laughed even louder. "Don't you dare!" She exclaimed as she saw the wicked little glint in Sébastien's eyes. "Seb! Don't! Noooohooooo." Tamara roared with laughter again as she wriggled underneath him and tried to push his hands off her body. She lay beneath him gasping for her breath as he stopped.

"I love the way you laugh." Sébastien whispered as he kissed her behind her left ear.

"And I love the way you make me laugh." Tamara sighed. "Now then, where are you ticklish?" She asked as she wrinkled her nose at him and ran her fingers through his hair.

"I'm not." Sébastien replied with a sly glance to his left.

"Oh really." Tamara exclaimed as she started to explore his body with her fingers. She watched his face intently as she did so. "Oh just there." She exclaimed as she ran her fingers lightly across the base of his spine just above his butt.

"No!" Sébastien shook his head vigorously trying to surpress a laugh.

Tamara touched him in the same place again.

"Ooh you are such a liar." She glared at him playfully as she stroked him lightly back and forth.

"Tam! Stop it! Ple.....ease." Sébastien asked through his laughter.

"No way! I'm getting me some payback." Tamara shook her head as she continued to stroke him. "Hey!" She yelled as he began tickling her again.

"I'm-not-stop-ping-un-til-you-do." Sébastien panted between giggles.

"You-star-ted-it. I'm fin-ish-ing it." Tamara panted in reply.

They lay like that for over five minutes, tickling each other, pausing a couple of times to allow each other to catch some breath before tickling each other again.

"Ok, ok you win." Sébastien gasped as stopped the tickling and rested his head on Tamara's heaving chest.

"Quitter." Tamara teased. "Am I going to get any sleep tonight?" She asked as she dropped a gentle kiss on the top of his head.

"I can go and sleep on the sofa if you want." Sébastien teased as he lifted himself from her.

"Bye." Tamara said with a serious expression and a small wave as he stood up.

"You really want me to go?" Sébastien asked while looking at her.

Tamara nodded. She stifled her laughter as she watched his head droop and his shoulders drop. She sat up quickly, moved to the edge of the bed and grabbed his arm.

"Get back here Izambard. You're not going anywhere." Tamara growled as she pulled him sharply back down onto the bed.

She laughed as he dropped down beside her and shook his head as he scowled playfully at her. She sighed happily as he pulled her close and kissed her passionately.

"Seb! Not again?!" She exclaimed as she felt his passion growing once more. She sighed as he moved his lips to her mouth and laid several gentle kisses on her lips. She moaned softly as his hands moved across her stomach, around to the small of her back, holding her tight.

"Oui again." Sébastien replied with a broad smile and quick flick of his eyebrows

"You're going to wear me out at this rate." Tamara moaned into his mouth as his right hand moved up to the back of her neck and his left hand moved down to gently caress her right butt cheek, before stroking her thigh and lifting her leg from the bed.

"Can I help it if I can't get enough of you?" He asked as he rolled onto his back, taking Tamara with him and making love to her slowly and gently for the third time that night.

"Monsieur Izambard vous faites me rougir." She giggled shyly.

Tamara sighed happily to herself as she woke again. She stretched herself out as she listened to Sébastien humming to himself in the kitchen. She slipped into the shirt and jeans he'd found for her to wear. The shirt was much too big for her so she rolled the bottom up and tied the two sides into a knot just below her chest. The jeans hung very low on her hips but were a little too long for her so she turned the hem up until they were a reasonable length.

She blushed as she stood up and looked at the state of the bed. She made it quickly but properly, possibly for the first time in days, not in the messy bird's nest style Sébastien seemed to prefer. She jerked her chin upwards as she caught sight of herself in the mirror and laughed quietly as she made her way to the bathroom.

She felt herself redden as she stepped over the threshold of the bathroom and saw the wreckage from the night before. She quickly picked up both sets of clothes and dropped them into the laundry hamper. She would retrieve hers later. She blushed again as she checked the shower. She dropped the wet towels into the hamper then started to make her way towards the kitchen. She giggled quietly as she straightened up the pictures on the hallway wall. She shook her head and bit her lip lightly while she giggled with her hands over her mouth.

She smiled as she stood in the kitchen doorway watching him prepare breakfast.

"Morning again." She whispered in his ear as she sneaked up behind him and stroked a finger across his spine.

"Ah! Oh! Good morning." Sébastien replied as he arched his back and turned round to face her. He laughed as he saw the state of her dress.

"A charming ensemble isn't it?" Tamara asked as she twirled herself around.

"Oh lovely, the very height of fashion." Sébastien replied as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her.

"I was thinking of putting it up for the Paris Fashion Show. What do you think?" Tamara laughed.

"Nah!" Sébastien shook his head. "It would only ever look that good on you."

"Ooooh look who's been attending the Carlos Marin charm school." Tamara teased. "Something smells good. What's for breakfast?" She asked as she licked her lips.

"You." Sébastien replied as he pulled her quickly very close to him and laid several soft kisses on her neck.

"Ah ah. I'm hungry."

"So am I." Sébastien whispered as he continued kissing her neck.

"For food." Tamara shook her head and looked at him through narrowed eyes as she pushed him away from her slightly.

"Aww Ok." Sébastien moaned as he shuffled back over to the hob to finish his cooking "American pancakes and strawberries ok?"

"Ooooh lovely. Good looks and he can cook too. Aren't I a lucky girl?" She asked as she took the plate he handed her and tweaked his nose.

"Are you working at the studio today?"

"I'm supposed to be but I can't really go looking like this can I?" Tamara replied as she swallowed her second mouthful. "This is really good." She continued as she jabbed her fork at the plate.

"Thanks." Sébastien smiled. "Tamara?"

"Yes." She replied as she heard the questioning tone in his voice.

"Something has been bugging me for a while now."

"Oh! What?" Tamara asked as she swallowed more pancake.

"Remember when I offered you that lift home after Martin had finally introduced us?" Sébastien asked.

"Yes, I remember." She nodded.

"I noticed the look on your face, you looked......frightened......almost scared."

Tamara sighed and pushed her plate away as she replied.

"I was."

"Why?" Sébastien shook his head.

"Because of something that Gil did to me in one of those vehicles." She informed him as she closed her eyes and swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you." Sébastien said as he reached for her right hand and held it tight.

"It's ok." Tamara shrugged.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No. No. I'll tell you." She drew in a deep breath and dried her eyes before speaking.

"Gil bought a vehicle very similar to the one you offered me a lift in, four years ago. We were driving down to the south of France one day when we got into an argument about something, I forget what it was now. We were supposed to be picking some of his friends up along the way, but he got lost. He really lost his temper and he punched me in the face. That was the first time he broke my nose. I sat in the passenger seat crying, trying to stop my nose from bleeding and all he did was moan about me getting blood on the leather interior. He yelled at me to shut up and when I didn't he told me to get out. He didn't bother to stop so that I could, he just slowed down, reached across me, opened the door, told me we were over and pushed me out."

"Mon Dieu!" Sébastien exclaimed as she finished. "Is that why you walk so much?"

"Partly." Tamara nodded and tried to dry her eyes again.

"He left me in the middle of nowhere. I didn't know where I was. I'd just started walking back towards the last village we'd passed through when someone found me. They took me to hospital and I got my nose sorted out. I came back here, but Gil stayed away for over a fortnight. He didn't even bother to call me until he came back and, idiot that I was back then, I accepted his apology and took him back."

"You've really been through some shit with him haven't you?" Sébastien asked as he pulled her close to him and held her tight.

"Yes I have, but that's all over with now." Tamara smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She sighed again as Sébastien began to kiss her gently and slowly as he held her tight.

_________


Sébastien held her around the waist from behind, rested his chin on her shoulder and rocked her gently from side to side as she waited for her mother to answer the telephone.

"Bonjour, Entreprise vinicole de Renard." Came the melodic tone across the line.

"Hello mother." Tamara giggled in reply.

"Tamara mon chéri, this is a nice surprise. How are you?"

"I'm fine." Tamara smiled.

"And work?"

"Work is fine too." Tamara rolled her eyes.

"Is there something wrong? You don't normally call at this time of day."

"Yes I have a slight problem." Tamara replied as she bit her bottom lip.

"What is it?"

"Erm...Someone broke into my apartment last night. Everything is wrecked. They've destroyed all of my clothing with bleach."

"Oh Mon Dieu! Are you all right chéri? You weren't there when it happened were you?" Tamara's mother exclaimed with obvious concern.

"I'm fine. No, I was out having dinner." Tamara placated her.

"Oh, with your girlfriends?"

"No."

"Not with Gil?" Her mother asked with the concerned voice again.

"No, not with him either." Tamara shook her head vigorously.

"Who with then?" Her mother asked with a quizical tone.

"With a someone named Sébastien Izambard." Tamara informed.

Tamara screwed up her face and held the handset away from her ear as her mother screamed down the phone like a schoolgirl.

"Not the one from Il Divo?" Her mother yelled.

"Is there another one?" Tamara moved the phone away again as her mother screamed for a second time and rattled off something in French about her daughter having a date with a member of Il Divo to someone in the background.

"Mum!!" she growled through gritted teeth. "You're embarrasing me."

"Why?" Her mother quizzed again.

"Because he's standing right beside me." Tamara prepared to move the phone away again and giggled when she didn't hear a scream.

"Que? Vous le voyez Tamara?" Her mother enquired.

Tamara and Sébastien giggled and shook their heads.

"Mother!" Tamara laughed again.

"What?"

"What's the point of suddenly switching to French?"

"Oh! I forgot." Her mother laughed.

Tamara shook her head again and raised her eyebrows.

"Is Pop there? I need to ask him something." Tamara sighed.

"He's just outside. I'll just send Gaston to fetch him."

"This will take forever." Tamara informed Sébastien as she placed her hand over the mouthpiece. "Just outside means Pop is off somewhere among the grapes and Gaston is as old as the hills and he moves slower than a snail."

"That's ok. I don't mind." Sébastien laughed as he began kissing her neck.

"Stop that!" Tamara began as she tried to wriggle away from him.

"Why? I thought you liked it." Sébastien smiled as he pulled her back to him and continued kissing her.

"I do, I love it and you know it, but there's someone at the door."

"Ignore it. They will leave eventually." Sébastien smiled.

"I don't think so. Isn't that Urs' voice?"

"Merde! He's early."

Tamara laughed quietly to herself as she listened to Sébastien cursing profusely in French and grumbling to himself as he walked towards his apartment door.

"Hello Pop."

She lowered her eyes and felt herself blush as Urs entered the lounge, looked her up and down, then smirked at Sébastien. She giggled as Sébastien whacked him lightly in the stomach and told him to stop staring.

"Hello sweetheart." Tamara smiled as she heard her father's deep English accent. "Your mother told me what happened last night. Are you sure you're all right baby?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Tamara placated her father.

"So, this new fella of yours. He treats you well?" Her father asked.

"Dad!" she growled again, clamped her hand over her eyes, shook her head and blushed again.

"Is he there?"

"Yeeees." Tamara nodded her head and rolled her eyes into her head as she replied slowly.

"Put him on. I'd like a word."

"I will not." Tamara laughed loudly as she immediately recognised his teasing tone.

She shook her head as she heard her parents laughing.

"Sorry sweetheart. Your mother says you need to ask me something." Her father asked seriously.

"I need to borrow some money." Tamara informed with a grimmace.

"To replace your clothes I assume?" he asked.

"Yes." Tamara replied and suddenly started to cry.

"Ok I'll have around four thousand pounds transferred to your account."

"Pop that's too much." Tamara sniffed.

"Pfft. It's my money. I will do what I like with it. Tamara, are you crying?"

"Uh huh." she replied.

"Why?"

"Because...because they smashed Anton's piano too."

"No! Can it be repaired?" Her father asked angrilly.

"No." Tamara shook her head slowly. "It's in hundreds of pieces." She tried to smile as Sébastien came to her side and asked her what was wrong. "I'll tell you in a minute babe." She told him as she covered the mouthpiece with her hand. She blushed as she heard her father cursing on the other end of the line.

"Is there anything else you need?" Her father asked.

"No. Thanks Pop. Love you both. Bye."

"Bye darling. Love you too. See you soon."

Tamara smiled as she heard her father blow her a kiss down the phone.

"So why the tears over the piano?" Sébastien asked as he held Tamara and gently wiped her tears away.

"You heard me refer to it as Anton's piano when I was on the phone?"

"Oui." Sébastien nodded.

"Anton was my big brother."

"Was?" Sébastien questioned.

Tamara nodded.

"Yes, He was involved in a bad car crash just over two years. He was in a coma for six weeks before he died. I found out just before I went to Africa that he had left the piano to me. He could play a lot better than I can."

"I'm not sure that's possible." Sébastien informed her as he continued to hold her.

"Thanks. I'm just upset because I love playing the piano and it was almost the only thing I had to remind me of him and now it's been destroyed."

Sébastien held her close and rocked her gently as she cried in his arms.

"Now, I think you'd better go before I mess up another shirt." She informed him as they heard Urs cough lightly in the background. She smiled as he kissed her goodbye and dried her eyes.

_______


The next few days passed in a whirl.

It is the day of Tamara's twenty-seventh birthday. Her apartment is clean and tidy once more though she is waiting for some more new furniture to arrive. She has had extra locks put on the inside of balcony window just in case that was how the person who wrecked her apartment got in.

Her father paid twice as much as he said he would into her account and refused to hear a word about her paying it back. She has bought lots of new clothes, has had her hair cut into a more up-to-date style and had the slight curl straightened out for the evening. She has also treated herself to a full beauty treatment.

Urs, David and Carlos know it is Tamara's birthday but Sébastien has lead them to believe she is spending this night with her girlfriends and that they are going on 'guys night out'. He's told them he is taking her to Rome in a couple of days time and that they will be spending a couple of days there.

Little do either the men or the women know what Tamara and Sébastien have planned for them.

"Wow! You look fantastic." Arry exclaimed as she stepped into her friend's home. "I'm borrowing this dress at some point." She smiled.

"Thank you." Tamara replied with a small courtsey. "Not this one you're not. I'll never get it back." She laughed as she looked down at the silver bustier dress she was wearing while Arry stuck her bottom lip out in a sulk.

"From Seb?" Sue asked as she sniffed at the large bunch of Tamara's favourite roses.

Tamara nodded and smiled broadly as she watched her friend count the number of flowers. She giggled as Sue gave her an ok signal and a wink.

"Hey Tam! Have you seen that red Mazda MRX 5 convertible parked outside? I would love to know who that belongs to." Karen asked as she fanned herself with her hand.

"Ahem!!" Tamara coughed as she held up a set of keys.

"What?! No way! Who?" Karen spluttered.

"Mum and Pop. They're going to be in so much trouble when I eventually get them on the phone. They've been avoiding my calls all day, but I have heard them laughing in the background when I've spoken to Gaston."

"Talking of presents......" Karen began as she handed over her gift bag with a smile. "I hope you like it."

Tamara looked into the bag and saw a large cube-shaped box. Her jaw dropped as she opened it.

"Kaz, it's gorgeous. Did you make it yourself?" Tamara asked as she slipped the silver and blue topaz bangle onto her right wrist.

Karen nodded as she wiped a tear from her face. "It's a piece I designed just for you."

"Oh Kaz, thank you." Tamara said as she gave Karen a large hug and knocked a tear from her cheek.

"Well, it makes our gift pale in comparison." Sue informed her as she handed over the gift bag from herself and Arry.

"You made these too, didn't you?" Tamara asked Karen as she opened a much smaller box and saw a pair of ear-rings that matched the bangle. "Thanks Sue. Thanks Arry. They're beautiful." Tamara sniffed as she hugged both women at the same time.

Karen nodded once more. "But I actually got paid for those."

Tamara snorted a laugh as she fixed the ear-rings in place.

"So what has Seb got you?" Arry asked as she fiddled with her hair in the mirror.

"I don't know yet, it can't be delivered until tomorrow."

"Ooooh now that's intriguing. I wonder what he's got you." Sue asked with a smile.

"It must be big if it's got to be delivered." Karen exclaimed.

"Aww what a shame." Arry sulked as she continued her preening.

"Yes it is. Seb was disappointed too. Will you please leave it alone, it's perfect the way it is." Tamara informed Arry as she stood at her side and pulled Arry's hands away from her hair.

"I'll just......."

"Arry! Leave for God's sake leave it!" Tamara shouted as her mobile began to ring.

______


"Don't blame me if we're late. Not my fault this time." Carlos exclaimed as he stepped into Sébastien's apartment. "David is still downstairs with his eyes glued to some car parked outside. He's been there for God knows how long and Urs......Well Urs is just being Urs."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Urs asked as he looked in mirror and checked his hair.

"See, he's still doing it." Carlos exclaimed as he stood behind Urs and copied every move he made.

"Oh and like you didn't spend an hour fiddling about with this." Urs scowled as he turned around and flicked Carlos' kiss curl into the air.

"Hey! I had that perfect and now you've messed it up." Carlos hissed.

Sébastien rolled his eyes and shook his head as he listened to Carlos mumble several Spanish profanities under his breath as he twizzled the curl back into postion.

"I wanna know who the car belongs to." David remarked as he finally crossed Sébastien's threshold.

"Which one?" Sébastien asked.

"The red Mazda convertible."

"Oh! That's Tamara's. Her parents bought it for her." Sébastien informed.

"Just the two seats I noticed." Carlos exclaimed with a broad smile.

Sébastien shook his head and rolled his eyes again.

"Wow! Cool! Do you think she'll dump you and go out with me?" David beamed. "Joke!" he yelled as Sébastien moved towards him in a threatening manner. "I thought she didn't like travelling in cars."

"She's ok in cars, it's people carriers that upset her. She is working on it though. I actually managed to get her to sit in ours for about five minutes yesterday with the door shut."

"That's good. Has your gift arrived yet?" Urs asked.

"No, tomorrow. I just hope I haven't done the wrong thing. I would hate to upset her." Sébastien replied with a sigh.

"I'm sure everything will be fine amigo. You chose a good one." Carlos informed as he stepped away from the mirror finally satisfied with the positon of his curl. "Where are we going tonight anyway?"

"Isobel's." Sébastien replied.

"Fine." Carlos shrugged.

"Hey! No-one said anything about going dancing." Urs swallowed hard.

"I'm just going home." David proclaimed with his usual smile as he turned and headed for the door.

"No you're not." Sébastien laughed as he grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back into the room for a moment.

"What are you up to?" Urs questioned whilst looking at him suspiciously.

Sébastien smiled and chuckled to himself. "The question should be 'What are Tam and I up to?' "

Urs looked at him confused then scratched his head. He turned to walk out of the door then suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He turned back to face a quietly giggling Sébastien.

"Tonight?!" He asked as his eyes flew wide.

Sébastien nodded as he heard Carlos and David ask what was going on. He listened as Urs told them what was going to happen, then laughed as he saw the looks on all of there faces. He laughed louder as David scowled and wagged his right index finger at him, Urs shook his head and blew out a long breath and Carlos glared at him whilst just managing to stifle a laugh.

"I'll just call her to make sure they're ready." Sébastien informed them as he allowed them to leave the apartment, shut his door and made sure it was locked.

_________


"Hello handsome." Tamara said as she locked the bathroom door behind her and answered the phone.

"Hello chéri. Are you ready? We're on our way down." Sébastien asked.

"Yes I'm ready. It's a good job I'm wearing waterproof make up, this is going to be hysterical."

"I know."

"Did you tell them?"

"Yes."

"And?"

Tamara laughed quietly as she heard David, Urs and Carlos telling Sébastien off for being so "Sneaky", "Underhanded", "Sinuoso".

"We're almost there." Sébastien laughed down the phone.

"Ok babe. See you in a few seconds."

Tamara closed the phone and grunted a little laugh to herself as she heard the knock at the door.

"Sue could you get that please. I'm just washing my hands."

She opened the bathroom door and collapsed in a fit of hysterics as she saw her three friends standing in her hallway, wide-eyed, open-mouthed and mumbling incoherently.

"Karen, Sue and Ariadne say hello to David, Carlos and Urs." She asked through her giggles. "See I told you it would be funny." she said as she and Sébastien laughed in each other arms.

Everyone composed themselves after laughing hard for a few minutes and they all moved into the lounge. They had decided to have one drink before leaving for the nightclub.

Tamara stood in the hallway and watched their friends pair up while Sébastien opened the large bottle of champagne her parents had had delivered.

"Seb." She whispered through the kitchen door. He turned to look at her with a smile on his face. She beckoned him closer. She pointed towards the balcony doors where David and Karen stood talking. "I thought you said he doesn't believe in love at first sight." She giggled.

Sébastien shook his head. "He doesn't."

"Really?" Tamara questioned. "I think you need to take another look. Look at his face. Awww."

"Oh my God!" Sébastien giggled behind his hand. "I've never seen him like that with any woman."

Tamara smiled at him then turned to look at David again.

He hadn't taken his eyes off Karen since they had stepped through the door. Though it looked like they were deeply engrossed in coversation Karen was actually doing all of the talking. David just stood staring into her eyes and hung on every word that fell from her mouth. Tamara laughed quietly when she heard Karen finish a question. The only audible reply she received from David was a questioning "Huh?"

She turned her head to look at Urs and Arry.

Those two had started talking as soon as they had been introduced, but in a quiet, shy way. Tamara watched Urs' eyes fly wide when Arry informed him that she liked riding motorcycles too. He was more than a little amazed when she informed him that she had a really old Harley she was in the process of restoring.

"Need any help?" Urs questioned with a willing smile.

Arry smiled and nodded as she replied. "Lots."

She almost laughed loudly when she heard Carlos and Sue talking over by where the piano used to stand.

"Oh like I haven't heard that line before." Sue giggled. "Try something else."

Carlos stood next to her with a bemused expression on his face and his arms firmly folded across his chest. He usual chat-up lines and flirty behaviour didn't appear to be working on Sue. Tamara watched as Sue leaned in to whisper something into Carlos's left ear. She grunted a laugh when she saw his eyes fly wide and the startled expression on his face. She instantly knew Sue was playing Carlos at his own game and winning. She turned away from the scene and bent herself double laughing.

"You ok?" Sébastien asked as he came out of the kitchen with a tray of glasses and the bottle of champagne.

"Fine." Tamara coughed and tried to stop laughing as they walked back into the lounge together.

She carried on giggling as Sébastien filled all the glasses and everyone wished her a very Happy Birthday.

"How much has she had?" Carlos questioned as Tamara continued to giggle.

"Just the one. Why?" Sébastien informed.

"No reason." Carlos shrugged giving Tamara a questioning look as she sat on the sofa nearest to the balcony still laughing.

________


Gil whistled happily to himself as he headed towards 'Isobel's nightclub. He spun the car keys on one of his fingers as he walked towards the door.

"Excuse me sir." One of the bouncers smiled politely as he laid a hand on Gil's chest. "Where are you going."

Gil looked down at the hand then back to the bouncer before speaking.

"In there, where do you think?" He nodded towards the entrance as he spoke.

"No your not." The bouncer replied and pushed Gil away from the door.

"What?"

"You're not going in." The bouncer shook his head. "We had enough trouble with you the last time you were here. The manager has asked me to inform you that you are barred for the foreseeable future."

"What?!!" Gil exploded "He can't bar me. Doesn't he know who I am?"

"He knows exactly who you are Monsieur Bertrand, but it makes no difference to him. If he says you are barred, then I can't let you in."

"You think you're going to stop me?" Gill grunted a laugh and stepped towards the entrance again.

"Not me, no." The bouncer shook his head and huffed a laugh. "He will though." He placed his hand on Gil's chest again and nodded over his shoulder as he spoke.

Gil turned on his heels and came face-to-chest with a hugely built fair-haired man.

"Problem Andre?" He asked as Gil stared up at him open-mouthed.

"Yeah Demont." Andre nodded. "This gentleman here has been barred but isn't taking any notice."

"Really?" Demont raised his right eyebrow and folded his arms across his massive chest as he questioned Gil. "This the man you told me about?" He questioned Andre but kept his eyes on Gil. Andre chewed a piece of gum as he nodded.

"So your the fella that likes to knock women around are you?" Demont questioned again.

"What if I do? Bitch deserved it anyway." Gil hissed in reply, making himself as big as he could as he did so.

Demont sniffed and smiled. Gil looked at him quizically then gulped when the bouncer wrapped one of his large arms around his shoulder.

"Let's me and you go have a little word shall we?" Demont smiled as he manouvered Gil away from the entrance.

________


"You look beautiful." Sébastien whispered in her ear as they stepped into the first taxi. He smiled as he smelled her favourite perfume.

"Thank you, you've scrubbed up pretty well yourself." Tamara replied with a cheeky smile as she sat beside him and laid her right hand on his knee.

"Wow! This is nice, who bought you this?" Sébastien asked as he lifted her hand and inspected the bangle.

"No-one, Kaz made it for me. She made these too." Tamara informed him as she tucked her hair behind her right ear and showed him the ear-rings.

"Made them?" Sébastien questioned.

"Yes, she designs and makes jewelery for a living."

"I thought you said she was a nurse."

"She was, she gave that up just over three years ago."

"Oh right! Tamara, have you done something to your hair?"

"Yes. Why? Don't you like it?"

"I love it, but I preferred the slight curl you had in it."

"Don't worry all I have to do is wash it and the curl will come back." Tamara smiled as Sébastien wrapped his left arm around her shoulders.

"So Sue, what do you do for a living?" Carlos asked as he made himself comfortable in the taxi they were sharing with Sébastien and Tamara.

"I'm a croupier at the Paris Hilton Hotel." She informed as she pursed her lips together anticipating his next question.

"Really...Does that mean you have to wear shor....."

"No it doesn't mean I have to wear a short skirt. Geeze." Sue interupted him and rolled her eyes backwards. "Only the waitresses wear those."

"Oh! I will have to come and see you at work then." Carlos continued, making his eyebrows dance as he smiled at her.

"Well you'll have to be quick." She smiled.

"Why?"

"Because I'm starting a new job in a month's time."

"Oh! Doing what?"

"Teaching sign language to deaf children."

"You can do that?"

"Yes. My sister was left completely deaf from the age of five after she had meningitis, so I was brought up to use it."

"What did she just say?" Carlos asked as Sue signed 'He's bloody gorgeous up close.' to Tamara. Tamara laughed and nodded her head at Sue.

"Not telling. It will only make your head swell." Tamara replied and laughed once more as Carlos scowled playfully at her and stuck out his tongue.

______


"Something wrong?" Arry asked as she stepped into the second taxi in front of Urs.

"Yes." He replied as he sat beside her nervously wringing his hands together.

"What?" She asked as she looked at him quizically.

"I don't like to dance in public."

"Why not?"

"I'm nervous. I conscious about everyone watching me. I only normally dance when I'm pi...drunk" Urs replied.

Arry grunted a laugh.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"You are."

"Why?"

"You've got the courage to stand up on stage and sing your heart out in front of God knows how many thousands of people, but you get yourself in a right state when it comes to dancing in the presence of a few hundred. I will have to give you some private lessons, see if we can boost your confidence a little."

"Lessons!" Urs looked at her wide-eyed and shook his head. "Is that what you do for a living?" He asked.

"Yep, I teach ballroom and Latin, but my biggest class is disco." Arry nodded. "I tone it down a lot when I'm out with the girls though, don't want to show off." Arry finished as she wrinkled her nose at him.

_______


"I'll say I saw the car. She's such a lucky girl." Karen said as she settled herself into the taxi.

"I'd have preferred it in black or silver myself?" David replied as he struggled to get his longs legs into the car.

"I see you like my work."

"Huh?" David exclaimed as he looked at her quizically.

"These." Karen replied as she placed her middle fingers behind his ears and pushed them forward slightly. "Yep, definitely my design."

"Oh you mean the ear-rings. These are my favourites." David beamed.

Karen nodded. "One of my first designs."

"Is that what you do then?" David asked.

"Uh huh." Karen nodded again. "I've only been doing it about three years. Up until then I was a nurse in the Emergency Department of the local hospital. That was where I first met Tamara."

"After Gil had attacked her?" David asked.

"No she wasn't seeing him at the time." Karen shook her head and smiled at him. "They'd split up just a couple of days before. She'd been out trying to rollerblade with Sue. They'd both fallen on their backsides but only Tam got hurt. She broke her ankle in that little escapade and I was the one that put her in plaster for six weeks."

"So why the change?"

"Tam saw some of my designs after we became friends. She had another friend that worked for Cartier and he was very enthusiastic when she showed them to him. I was offered a job with them the following week. It pays a lot better than nursing." Karen informed him as she smiled broadly.

________


Gil rubbed at his right wrist as he watched Demont walk away from him. He glared hard at the mans back as he recalled what he had just done to him.

Demont had walked him away from 'Isobel's' with his arm round his shoulder like they were old friends after their conversation outside the nightclub. They had just reached a narrow alleyway that ran between two buildings when Demont had pushed him hard into it.

"Hey! Careful this suit's real Armani." Gil hissed.

"I couldn't give a fuck." Demont sneered in reply as he grabbed Gil by the right wrist, twisted it until it felt like it was going to snap. "Don't remember me do you Gil?" He asked as he slammed Gil into the wall of a one of the buildings, his face impacting hard onto the brickwork.

Gil shook his head. "The only Demont I knew was a skinny little runt a year below me at school."

"Well done." Demont smiled as he whispered in his ear. "Amazing what all those hours in the gym and a healthy diet can do eh Gil? He continued as he saw the almost shocked look in Gil's eyes. "Remember my sister as well?"

Gil's eyes flew wide and as he nodded. "Angelique. How is she these days?" He sneered.

"You know exactly how she is!!" Demont yelled twisting Gil's wrist a little more, making him wince in the process. "Do you want to end up in the same place?"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Just try me Gil. Let me hear of you striking any more women and I'll coming looking for you. I don't care if I die in prison for what I would do to you."

Gil gulped audibly and startled as heard the sound of a gun being cocked near his temple.

"Understand me?" Demont questioned.

Gil nodded.

"Good." Demont smiled as he released him.

For a big man Demont moved remarkably quick and was out of the alleyway before Gil could turn around to face him. Gil took quick steps to entrance and leaned himself against the wall he had been slammed into as he thought for a moment.

"You'll keep." He hissed in a whisper.

An evil smile spread across his face as he saw the people getting out of the two taxi's that had just pulled up outside the nightclub. He threw his head back and laughed for a long time before making his way back to his friend's car and making himself comfortable as he waited for them to reappear.

________


Five hours later 'Isobel's' spilled its patrons out into a warm Paris evening.

"Phew, It was hot in there tonight!" Sébastien exclaimed as he wiped his brow and threw his jacket over his shoulder.

"It sure was. I've had so much fun though." Tamara replied as she kissed Sébastien on the cheek. "I loved the way you dealt with that girl that tried to get between me and you when we were dancing. I don't know how I kept a straight face when I saw the look she had on hers. I wish I'd had my camera with me." Tamara giggled.

"Huh!" Sébastien exclaimed as he pulled his face into a similar expression that the girl had given Tamara.

Tamara laughed out loud.

"God my feet are killing me. I think I take my shoes off and walk barefoot." Tamara moaned as she held on to Sébastien's arm and slipped her evening sandals off. "Oooh! That's better." She sighed as she hooked the straps of both sandals onto one finger.

"Did you see the two women that tried to get Carlos away from Sue?" Sébastien asked with his tongue in his cheek.

"Yes, I thought Sue was going hit the redhead until Carlos danced her away from them." Tamara nodded and grunted a laugh.

"What about the dark-haired girl that went after Urs while Arry went to the bathroom?"

Tamara snorted a laugh before speaking.

"That would have been a waste of a good cocktail. It was good job Urs stopped her in time."

"And the one that made a move on David?" Sébastien asked with a smile.

"I don't think her face moved for about ten minutes after he smiled at her and that scream she let out.....my ears are still ringing." Tamara laughed again.

"Sorry did you say something." Sébastien laughed as he rubbed at his ears.

Tamara snorted another laugh and whacked his arm as Carlos came up behind them.

"How are we getting home amigo?" Carlos asked.

"Walking." Sébastien and Tamara replied together as they linked hands.

"After all that dancing?"

"Yep! It stops your legs cramping up. Go ask Arry, she does it all the time." Tamara continued as she nodded towards her friend and Urs walking hand in hand a few yards in front of them and just behind David and Karen, who were also holding hands.

"It's okay, I believe you. Just how far do we have to walk though?" Carlos asked again.

"A couple of miles, that's all." Sébastien informed him.

"Oh not far then?" Carlos replied sarcastically as he jerked his head upwards and rolled his eyes into his head.

"He can be so lazy sometimes." Sébastien laughed to himself as he watched Carlos turn back to Sue. He smiled as he saw Carlos kiss the back of Sue's hand, before holding it gently as they continued to walk. He bit his lip lightly as he saw Sue look at Carlos coyly as she blushed a little.

"I can't believe Arry got Urs up onto the dancefloor even if it was just for a smoochy dance." Tamara giggled.

"Me neither and he wasn't even drunk. Talking of smoochy" Sébastien whispered as he pulled Tamara round to face him. He heard her moan in her throat as he kissed her passionately. "I love you." He said as he released her.

"I love you too." Tamara replied. "Come on we're falling behind."

She giggled as they started to walk again. Tamara with her left arm around Sébastien's waist, her hand snuggled into the back pocket of his trousers and Sébastien with his right arm around her waist his hand resting gently on her bottom. She gave him a naughty grin as she squeezed his backside and made him jump slightly. She yelped playfully as he did the same to her.

"Come on you two, try to keep up." Urs shouted as he beckoned them towards him.

No-one saw the black BMW driving directly towards them as they reached the middle of the road.

________


"Tam! Are you ok?" She heard Arry's voice questioning as she got to her feet.

"I'm fine, I've just skinned my hands and knees. What happened? Where's Seb?" She replied as she dusted herself down.

"Tam, please don't panic. Seb's been hurt...." Arry began.

"What?" Tamara yelled.

Arry nodded. "Carlos too."

"What?" Tamara yelled again as she turned back to the road.

"Where is he Arry?"

"There." Arry replied as she pointed a few yards down the road. "Kaz is helping him while we wait for the ambulance."

"Oh God!" Tamara yelled as she started to run to where Sébastien lay in a crumpled heap. She saw Carlos sitting on the kerbside inspecting a vicious looking graze on his right arm.

"Kaz, what happened? Is he going to be ok?" She asked as tears streamed down her face.

"Tam, I don't know how bad he is. He's unconscious. He pushed you out of the way just before the car hit him. It hit him quite hard and sent him rolling onto the bonnet and up onto the windscreen before dropping him here. I've done what I can for him. We just need to wait for the paramedics. Try talking to him while we wait, but try to stay calm." Karen informed her as she knelt by his head, keeping his airway open.

"Ok." Tamara nodded as she moved to kneel beside him. "Seb can you hear me?" she asked as she gently stroked his face. "Come on babe, show me you can hear me. Squeeze my hand if you can." Tamara requested as she slipped her fingers into his right palm. She smiled and wiped her tears away as she felt a gentle squeeze.

"Are you ok?" She asked as she turned to face Carlos.

"Si. I'm fine. It was just a glancing blow that knocked me to the floor." He shrugged nonchalantly in reply as he gave her a small smile.

"Did anyone get the registration or see who was driving?" She asked as she raised her head and saw all the concerned faces gathered around.

"They were driving too fast." David replied as he shook his head.

"The windows were too dark to see who was driving from where we were standing." Urs informed her.


________


Everyone was seated in the waiting room when Sébastien's mother arrived. Tamara had only met her the day before and had taken an instant liking to her.

"Tamara are you all right?" She asked in French as she hugged her.

Tamara nodded and replied in French.

"I'm just worried about Seb. Everyone is. No-one will tell us anything because none of us are related."

"It's all right. I have just seen him. He will be ok. He has broken the bones in his lower right leg, he also has a mild concussion and a few bumps and grazes, but otherwise he's fine. He's been asking to see all of you, but the doctor has said only one can see him tonight. He wants you Tamara. Come with me." Sébastien's mother informed her and held her hand out as she finished.

Tamara looked at David, Carlos and Urs and swallowed hard as Urs translated for them.

"Go." They all indicated together.

"Thanks guys." Tamara smiled and wiped her eyes as she took hold of his mother's hand.

They stopped just outside his room and his mother spoke to Tamara in her native tongue again.

"Now, he might be very groggy because the doctors have given him a very strong painkiller so if he rambles or doesn't answer you don't worry. I need to go home because I have something important to sort out. Can you stay with him tonight?"

"If it's ok with the doctor." Tamara nodded.

"It's fine. Now dry your eyes and in you go." Madame Izambard insisted with a gentle smile and a light push in Tamara's back.

Tamara drew in a deep breath and pushed the door open. She swallowed hard as she approached the side of the bed.

"Seb, can you hear me?" She asked as she sat in the chair and took hold of his right hand.

"Tam...Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you." Tamara replied as she kissed his cheek gently.

"My mother said Carlos got hurt too. Is he ok?"

"He's fine, just a nasty graze on his right arm."

"They have gone now?" Sébastien asked when he didn't see anyone with her.

"No. They're all outside." Tamara shook her head. "The doctor said only one visitor tonight."

Sébastien nodded.

"It was Gil driving. He tried to kill us Tam." Sébastien replied as he fought to keep his eyes open.

"What?!" Tamara exclaimed.

"Gil tried to kill us." He repeated as he licked his lips and swallowed hard. "You and me."

"How do you know that?" She questioned again.

"Saw his face through wind....windscreen."

"Oh God!" Tamara yelled as she clamped her hand over her mouth. "All right babe. I believe you. Get some rest. We'll talk in the morning. Ok?"

"Ok. Stay Tam?" He requested as he held her hand tightly, slowly pulled them both up to his face and kissed the back of her hand.

Tamara nodded and smiled as she looked at him.

"It's ok. I am staying. You just go to sleep." She confirmed as she gently stroked his face with her free hand.

"Ok. Sleep. Love y......." Sébastien nodded wearily.

"I love you too." Tamara replied. She allowed her tears to fall as she saw him finally close his eyes. She sighed deeply as she softly kissed his cheek.

________


"Won't be a minute David." Tamara shouted as she made her way into her bedroom. "Help yourself if you want a drink or anything."

"Thanks Tam." Came his reply.

Tamara wrinkled her nose as she looked at all of the new clothes in her wardrobe, trying to decide what to wear.

"These will do." She said to herself as she pulled a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt and boots out. "Oh hell!" She exclaimed as she heard her mobile phone ringing.

"Hi Kaz." She answered as she wriggled into the jeans.

"Hey girl ,you okay?" Kaz's voice asked.

"I'm fine."

"Good. How's Seb this morning?"

"He's in a bit of pain, but otherwise he's okay." Tamara continued as she fastened the jeans.

"Where are you?"

"At home. I've just popped in to change my clothes and to pick up a few things for Seb."

"Not on your own?"

"No, David is waiting in my kitchen." Tamara teased as pulled the t-shirt over her head.

"Oh really!!!" Karen giggled down the phone.

"Kaz, behave yourself."

"Have you been into your lounge yet?"

"No. Why?" Tamara asked as she pulled one boot on.

"Go take a look."

"Just a minute." Tamara grunted, hopping towards the door and trying to pull the other boot on as she spoke. "OH MY GOD! He didn't?" She yelled and shook her head in disbelief as she opened the lounge door. "How?....When?" she spluttered.

"Do you like it?" Kaz's voice asked but received no reply.

"Kaz, Did you know about this?" Tamara asked as she heard her friend laughing in the background.

"Yes, by the time we left 'Isobel's' last night we all did." Kaz replied.

"All of you!!! You mean you, Sue and Arry?"

"Yes. Seb's mother knew too."

"Is this why you asked for my keys last night before you left the hospital?"

"Duh! How else were we supposed to get it into your apartment?" Kaz asked.

"You lot are in so much trouble." Tamara scowled as David entered the lounge beaming broadly.

"Enjoy girl." Kaz yelled as she hung up.

"What?" David asked with a broad smile as Tamara glared at him with her hands on her hips.

_________


Tamara set her face like stone as she and David stood outside his room.

"Ready?" David asked with a beaming smile.

"Uh-huh." Tamara replied with a small giggle.

"Ok here goes." David continued as he straightened his face into a serious expression and pushed the door open. "Let's give them some privacy you two." he requested as he pulled Urs and Carlos towards the door.

Tamara scowled at Carlos and Urs and saw the worried looks on their faces as they left. She stood with a very stern look on her face and her arms folded across her chest as she looked at Sébastien sitting up in the bed.

"You've seen it haven't you?" Sébastien asked swallowing hard as he looked at her.

Tamara nodded slowly.

"You don't like it do you?"

Tamara pouted as she shook her head slowly at him.

"I knew I'd done the wrong thing. I'm sorry." He sniffed and sighed deeply. "I'll erm......I'll make arrangements to have it removed as soon as possible." He finished as he closed his eyes and turned his face away from her.

She almost cracked a smile, but stopped herself just in time.

"Oh no you won't." She informed him.

"Why? What's the point of keeping it if you don't like it?" Sébastien asked, keeping his face turned away from her.

Tamara snorted a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Sébastien snapped, his face still turned away.

Tamara sat by his side on the bed.

"Seb look at me." She asked as she turned his face to look at her. "Aww I'm sorry babe." She exclaimed as she saw the tears glistening in his eyes. "No I don't like it, I love it. It's a beautiful piano. Thank you." She continued as she flung her arms around his neck, pulled him close and kissed him passionately.

"You're sure you like it?" Sébastien asked as she released the kiss.

Tamara nodded, bit her bottom lip and wiped her tears away as she smiled at him.

"But it's far too much."

Sébastien shook his head and sighed deeply as he pulled her close to him again and held her tight. He scowled as Urs, David and Carlos poked their heads round the door and laughed.

_________


"I'm sorry Monsieur Izambard, we have spoken to Monsieur Bertrand and he denies running you down last night. He says he doesn't own a black BMW and we have no records that prove that he does. We have spoken to several of his friends and associates who have all confirmed his alibi, that he was with them at a party on the other side of the city last night." The police officer informed Sébastien as he moved to leave the room.

"I know different." Sébastien hissed in reply.

The officer shrugged and gave him a wry smile as he let the door close behind him.

"Well I know how you feel now." Sébastien said as he tried to smile at Tamara.

"Not a good feeling is it?" She asked as she swallowed hard.

"No. No it isn't."

"You know what?" Tamara asked.

"What?"

"I think we need to get away from Paris for a while. There's nothing to keep us here. I've got no work on. You've finished recording the album and there's nothing scheduled for the next three weeks. How would you feel about visiting my parents?"

"What about this?" Sébastien asked as he tapped at the cast on his left leg.

"Oh you'll be ok. It's pretty flat where Mum and Pop live so you'll be all right on crutches or in a wheelchair and I'll have the car too."

"What about......you know.......sleeping arrangements?" Sébastien blushed.

"What about them?" Tamara asked with a cheeky smile as she climbed onto the bed to sit between his knees with her legs hooked over his hips.

"Well I wouldn't want your parents to hear what we get up to." He asked as he pulled her closer to him.

"And just what do you plan to get up to Monsieur Izambard?" She asked with eyes like saucers.

"Well if you don't know, I ain't tellin'." Sébastien teased in an American accent.

"Oh really! Well I was thinking of putting you in with Gaston and me having the guest bungalow to myself. I might actually get some sleep if I do that." Tamara teased him back.

"You wouldn't!" Sébastien glared at her.

Tamara laughed and raised her eyebrows playfully.

"Tam!"

"Oh stop pouting." Tamara said as she kissed him. "Of course I wouldn't. I'll just put you in the kennel with my dog, Hercules, and his lady friends instead." She teased again and laughed louder as Sébastien pulled his mouth into a sulk and buried his face into her chest.

________


Tamara smiled as she drove through the familiar villiages with the top down. She loved the feel of the wind in her hair. She wore it lose but held back in a red silk scarf and completed the look with a pair of dark sunglasses. She pulled the car into a layby and stopped as she reached the last turning she had to take to reach her childhood home. She smiled softly as she looked at Sébastien asleep in the passenger seat beside her.

"Hey sleepyhead, time to wake up." she said as she shook him gently. "We're almost there."

"Already?!" Sébastien yawned as he adjusted his position in the seat. "Wow!" he continued as he looked at the scenery.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Tamara asked.

Sébastien nodded.

"Can you see the house over in the corner?" she asked as she pointed off to her right.

"Oui."

"That's where we're going. That's home."

"Who do all these fields belong to?" Sébastien asked as he looked at the acres of grapevines spread out before them.

"From the house across to the left up to that brick wall, then from the house down to the river is Mum and Pop's vineyard." Tamara informed him.

"I thought you said it was small." Sébastien remarked as he followed her directions and saw how big the property was.

"It is. It's tiny compared to some vineyards around here, but it makes the best wine." She winked at him. "Ready?"

Sébastien nodded. Tamara quickly checked the road and sped off again.

"What the hell is that noise?" Sébastien asked as Tamara stopped the car outside the front doors to the house.

"Oh! That's just Hercules and his lady friends." Tamara replied as she heard the dogs barking in the background.

"How many are there?"

"Just the four of them. Why?"

"Sounds like a lot more."

Tamara shrugged as she held the car door open for him to get out. She smiled as she heard her father's voice behind her.

"Tamara sweetheart your early. Did you have a good drive?" He asked as he hugged her tightly and kissed her cheeks.

"Yes, it wasn't very busy on the roads." She said as she playfully smacked his arm.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"You know what it was for." Tamara smiled as she nodded at the Mazda. "Thank you. And I'm paying that money back."

"Pfft." Her father replied as he waved her off. "So are you going to introduce me to your young man or what?"

"Well if I must." Tamara teased. "Pop this is Sébastien Izambard. Seb this is my father, Richard Fox."

"Pleased to meet you young man." Richard Fox said as he shook Sébastien's hand.

"Likewise Monsieur Fox." Sébastien replied with a smile.

"Oh Richard please." Tamara's father told him. "How's the leg? Tamara told us what happened."

"It's fine, healing well, but it's itching like crazy at the minute."

"Where's Mum?" Tamara asked as she realised her mother hadn't appeared.

"She's down at the bungalow making sure that everything is ready for your arrival."

"God don't tell me. She's giving it a thorough clean." Tamara replied as she rolled her eyes into her head.

"You know your mother."

"Ok, so where are my babies?" Tamara asked as she smiled at her father.

"Huh?" Sébastien exclaimed as he stared at her.

Tamara snorted a laugh as she looked at him. "I meant the dogs." She replied sarcastically.

"Gaston's just gone to let them out. Here they come now." her father replied.

"Whoa! What the f......" Sébastien yelled. He pushed himself back against the car as he saw the four huge tan coloured animals charging towards Tamara.

She laughed as the largest of the group jumped up at her and licked her face. He watched her wide-eyed as she tickled the huge male and played with him like he was still a puppy.

"Pop, Is Josey pregnant?" Tamara asked as she knelt by the side of one of the females and felt the dogs stomach.

"Yes, she's due in about ten days. We think Mona might be as well."

"Ooh Hercules, you clever boy. Are you going to be a daddy soon?"

She laughed again as Hercules licked her face once more.

Sébastien's eyes flew wide as Hercules moved over to him and started sniffing him up and down. He almost lost his balance as the dog jumped up and huffed his hot breath in his face.

"Don't worry, that means he likes you." Tamara informed him as she moved to his side and gently pulled the dog down.

"What the hell kind of dog is he, he's huge?"

"He's a Dogue de Bordeaux. They all are. And this big fella here belongs to me. He stays here because I can't have him at the apartment, not that he's complaining with three lovely ladies for company."

"Just one question." Sébastien said as he leant into Tamara's ear. "What would he do if he didn't like me?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know and don't ever mention you know who in front of him."

"Who?" Sébastien questioned with a shake of his head.

"You know, the man who ran you over."

"Oh right! Why not?"

"Come with me and I'll show you."

Sébastien nodded as Tamara asked and he and all four dogs followed after her. She lead him across to the right side of the house, down a long herringbone blockpaved path that had highly scented roses roses along its border. She turned sharply right, onto a short concrete path until they reached two large metal gates. She opened them quickly, stepped through and walked down to a building where where the dogs were kennelled. She encouraged them all back into the large run that ran along the length of the kennels and locked the door firmly behind them.

"Ok. Just whisper his name now and err......stand back."

"Gil." Sébastien whispered. He swallowed hard as he watched Hercules turn from the gentle animal he'd met just moments before to a snarling, snapping, ferocious beast. He stumbled slightly as the animal jumped at bars of the caging.

"Merde!!!"

"Now you know why I can't have him with me." Tamara sniffed as she calmed Hercules down.

"Tamara!"

She smiled broadly and snapped her head up as she heard her mother's voice shouting.

"Mum, over here." she waved as her mother walked towards them from the direction of the guest bungalow.

"Chéri, you are early. I was hoping to have everything ready and be out of these clothes before you arrived." Her mother scolded as she looked down at her dirty t-shirt and jeans.

"You look fine." Tamara smiled as she kissed her mother's cheeks. "Mum, I would like you to say hello to Sébastien Izambard. Seb this is my mother, Francine."

"Enchanté Madame Fox." Sébastien replied as he took her hand and gently kissed the back of it.

"Merci, Sébastien." Francine Fox nodded and smiled in reply. "Come, we will go into the house now. I have a little surprise of my own for you Tamara."

"What?" Tamara asked.

"You will see in a few moments." Her mother smiled.

________


Sébastien stepped through the French windows that gave access to the very large lounge and stood with his mouth open for a few moments.

"What?" Tamara shrugged.

"You said it was small."

"It is. I told you there are bigger places than this. Come on I'll give you a guided tour of the downstairs for now."

He followed after her again and almost choked when she opened the ten foot high oak doors that gave access to the reception area. The square shaped area was enormous. He calculated he could have fitted his and Tamara's apartments into it and would still have had room to spare. In the middle of the square stood a large table on which was placed the biggest crystal rose bowl he had ever seen, it had been recently filled with the flowers and the scent of roses hung in the air. A large crystal chandilier hung from the ceiling at least twenty-five feet above them.

Tamara smiled as they walked across to her right and opened the doors to reveal the dining-room. He gaped again when he saw the table. A long mahogany table ran almost the length of the room with enough chairs to seat twenty people. The wall to his right was all windows at which hung deep blue silk curtains. Fields of grapevines spread out beyond those. To his left stood the fireplace. A large black marble affair, ornately carved with grapes, above that a very large mirror in a simple gold leaf frame. A long mahogany sideboard had been placed on the wall furthest from him. He looked up and saw another huge chandalier hanging from the middle of a grape themed ceiling rose. They left the dining room, turned right and headed towards the kitchen.

Sébastien's eyes flew wide. The island in the middle was bigger than the whole of his kitchen. Old looking wooden units ran around the walls on his left and right. The sink stood at the bottom end below another large window. To the right of the access door stood another two doors.

"What's behind those?" Sébastien asked nodding towards the doors.

"The left one is the pantry, as Pop's calls it. That's where all the food's kept. The fridge, freezer and dishwasher are in there too. The right one is for the utility room" Tamara smiled as she informed him. "You can use the kitchen any time you want, as long as you clean up after yourself."

"Your sure your mother won't mind?"

"No." Tamara shook her head. "As long as you leave it clean and tidy when you've finished. She's pretty easy about it."

They both turned and headed across the hallway to another room whose door opened under a wide curving staircase. He noticed the spindles on the ballustrading had a grapevine running up every other one. Tamara coughed as she opened the door to the room and he gaped again. The wall that faced him held what looked like old books on elegant shelves. In front of that stood a full sized grand piano.

"Who plays that?" Sébastien asked indicating the piano.

"My English grandmother when she visits." Tamara smiled. "It's very rare she comes now. She's almost seventy-seven and its getting harder for her to make the trip."

"You're father doesn't play then?"

"The piano?" Tamara questioned. "No." She shook her head and smiled as Sébastien nodded. "He plays that." She nodded towards an oboe lying on the piano.

"Any good?"

Tamara nodded. "I'll see if I can get him to play when the others come up for the last weekend. He's a bit shy about playing in front of an audience."

They left the music room, turned right again and headed back to the lounge. Sébastien shook his head at the enormity of the room. This room was at least two times the size of the dining-room and filled with heavy antique French furniture. On the wall opposite the doors stood a fireplace also twice as big as the one in the dining-room but this time carved simply in white marble. Above that hung an ornate gilt mirror. The wall to his right was taken up by the French doors and large windows. Three large over-stuffed sofas were placed around a chunky coffee table that stood in front of the fire. Where the arms of the sofas met stood two more tables in the same style as the coffe table. On those stood large expensive-looking glass table lamps with cream pleated shades. On the wall opposite the windows hung a large portrait of Tamara's parents on their wedding day. Another very long sideboard, this time in dark oak had been placed below that and a vast collection of silverware was displayed across its length.

Sébastien blew out a long breath as he sat down on the sofa that ran across the fireplace.

"So did you make it out to my home town on your recent tour?" Richard Fox asked as he handed him a glass of the vineyard's best red wine.

"Thank you. Where would that be?" Sébastien asked as he tried to reach the itch in his plastered leg.

"Manchester."

"Oh yes, yes we did. We had a great time doing the whole tour. It was very tiring, but so much fun. We all saw more of the world than we ever imagined we would."

"Here try this." Tamara said as she handed him a bamboo cane.

"Thanks." Sébastien said as he looked at her quizically.

Tamara giggled as she watched his face change from one of total discomfort to complete satisfaction as he finally reached the itch.

"Keep it." She insisted as he tried to hand it back.

"I can't believe that Tamara hadn't heard of you or your group until a few weeks ago. Her mother has been crazy about you since she heard your first album." Richard Fox laughed.

"Excuse me! Did mother ever mention them whenever I managed to get through on the phone or when I came back? No! I think I would have remembered if she did. Then I might not have looked such an IDIOT when I started working at Martin's studios." Tamara sulked playfully. "So what is she Pop? Is she a Siren, a Diva, a Cutie or an Uber-babe?".

"Oh! She's a Cutie, definitely a Cutie."

"God! Not another one." Sébastien exclaimed as he rolled his eyes backwards.

"Aww never mind babe." Tamara said as she patted his face. "Some women have got no taste." She giggled as she looked at her father. "Where's she gone anyway?" Tamara asked.

"To fetch your surprise." Her father replied with a broad smile.

"It's taking her long en......" Tamara began. She stopped as the lounge door swung open. "Destiny!!!" Tamara yelled in surprise as she saw the dark haired, blue eyed little girl standing by her mother's side.

"Aunt Tam!!" Destiny replied as she ran to Tamara.

Tamara sighed deeply and cried a little as she swung the child into her arms and held her tight.

"Oh my baby! I've missed you so much." Tamara said as she rocked the child from side to side.

"I've missed you too. England is so boring. It rains all the time and it's always cold." Destiny replied as she hugged her tightly.

"Where's you're mother?"

"At home in England. She's looking after Grandpa. He's....He's very poorly at the minute." She continued as tears glistened in her eyes.

Tamara nodded and smiled as she held the child away from her for a moment and wiped the tears away.

"Aunt Tam!" Destiny suddenly said as she stared wide-eyed at Sébastien.

"Yes sweetheart."

"Why is that man sitting on Gran and Grampy's sofa?" Destiny whispered.

"Oh! He's a friend of mine." Tamara replied as she turned her face to Sébastien.

"He's not your boyfriend is he?" Destiny whispered again.

Tamara laughed loudly at the question before replying. "Yes he is. Why?"

"Ooooooooh Mummy is going to be so jealous when I tell her. She loves that one. I like the one with long hair better."

Sébastien rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Oh really. Would you like to meet him?" Tamara asked as she nodded towards Sébastien.

"Would I?!!" Destiny exclaimed loudly.

"Ok, come and say hello." Tamara said as she took hold of the little girl's hand and gently lead her to where Sébastien sat.

"Are you going to marry my Aunt Tam and have lots of babies?" Destiny asked Sébastien as she plonked herself down beside him.

"Des!!!" Tamara yelled as she clamped her hand over her eyes and shook her head. "Oh my God!! I'm sorry Seb, she's just like her father. She always says exactly what's she's thinking."

"It's ok." Sébastien replied through his laughter. "How old did you say she is?"

"She's eight almost nine."

"You didn't answer my question." Destiny chimed once more as she yanked on Sébastien's shirt sleeve.

________


"She's another thing that reminds you of your brother isn't she?" Sébastien asked as they stood on the patio outside the guest bungalow, drinking a second bottle of the winery's best red wine whilst watching Destiny playing with Hercules.

Tamara smiled and nodded.

"She looks so much like him. I only wish she could play the piano or any musical instrument for that matter. She loves music so much, but can't play at all." Tamara informed him as tears welled in her eyes.

"Can she sing?" Sébastien questioned.

"I don't know. " Tamara replied, her eyes suddenly flying wide as she spoke. "It's possible she can. Shari sings soprano and Anton wasn't a bad singer either." She nodded. "I'll have to get her to give it a try tomorrow. It's a bit late now."

"Is she an only child?"

Tamara nodded again.

"Though she never complains about being lonely. Her mother always has one of her nieces or nephews around. I just wish Shari hadn't lost the baby in the crash. Destiny so wanted to have a baby brother or sister."

"Tam?" She heard Sébastien's questioning tone.

"Yes."

"Would you ever want children of your own?"

Tamara breathed deep as she moved away from him. She swallowed hard and tried to stop the tears from falling as she leaned against the wall that surrounded the patio.

"Oh Merde! I've said something wrong, haven't I?" Sébastien asked as he made his way over to her and turned her round to face him.

"No." Tamara replied as she smiled at him and allowed her tears to fall. "The question just brought some painful memories back, that's all."

"Oh! Sorry."

"It's ok." She smiled. "I...I was pregnant once, about two and half years ago."

"With him?" Sébastien questioned.

Tamara nodded and sighed again.

"He was so happy when I told him. He took really good care of me. Those were the best five months we ever had together. Then one day I caught him in bed with a childhood friend of mine. I ran out of his apartment, tripped and fell down some stone steps. I lost the baby and he did nothing but blame me. He screamed at me that it was all my fault, got roaring drunk and he hit me again. That was when he broke my nose for the second time. I was offered the chance to go to Africa just a few weeks later so I packed my bags, asked Mum and Pop to look after my apartment and disappeared for two years. I'm not really sure if I want children or not at the minute. I'd have to be very certain that I had the right man first and, much as I love you Seb, I think its a little early in our relationship to be thinking about having children."

She dried her eyes and smiled as Sébastien pulled her close, held her tight and gently stroked her back.

________


Sébastien watched her as she walked back to the bungalow after returning Destiny and Hercules to the house. He could see from watching her play with her brother's child what a wonderful mother she would be. She had an amazing sense of fun and was always ready to play any game Destiny wanted. At least she hadn't given him a definite 'No' to having children, which made a change. All his previous girlfriends had. They had all been too worried about what having a baby would do to their figures.

He shook his head and swallowed hard as he thought about what Gil had done to her in the past and what he'd done a few days ago. He knew it was him driving that car, no-one would ever be able to persuade him it wasn't. He wondered how bad her face had really been under those sunglasses when Gil had hit her. She hadn't let him see the full extent of what he'd done, only allowing him to remove the glasses eight days later. Even then she'd been ashamed she had avoided making eye contact with him and had bit her top lip very hard in an attempt to stop the tears from falling. She didn't succeed and he'd wanted to go and give Gil a good pasting in return only to have her grab his arm and stop him by saying:

'No Seb. Please don't. It will only drive him to do more. Just let it lie, leave it alone. It's over with.'

He had, reluctantly, agreed to what she requested, but had knocked the hell out of his mattress that night. He hadn't stopped punching the damned thing until he was completely exhausted and had woken up on the floor the following morning.

He smiled to himself as he recalled the conversation he'd had with Karen before they left Paris. He nodded his head as he thought about what he was hoping to do in a few weeks' time. Once the promotional tour for the next album was over.

"What's with the nodding?" Tamara asked as she sat down beside him and re-filled their glasses.

"Just thinking about something."

"Oh what?"

"Just wondering if I remembered to do something before we left Paris." Sébastien fibbed.

"Like what?"

"Oh nothing important." He fibbed again and smiled once more.

"What do you think?" Tamara asked as she held the wine bottle up.

"It's good. It's very good." Sébastien replied as he drained his glass.

"Told you didn't I. Pop says he's giving us a case to take home with us. I'll have to keep it away from Sue, she loves this one." she giggled as she re-filled his glass then her own.

"Tam...about earlier. I didn't mean to upset you." Sébastien sighed and shook his head.

"It's ok. I was going to tell you at some point anyway." Tamara smiled in reply.

"Really. Why?"

"Oh because I want you to at least try to understand what I went through." Tamara sighed heavily.

"I can't even begin to imagine what it was like for you. It must have been hell being with that...that...I can't say 'man', because any man who hits a woman is no man at all." Sébastien said as he sat on the wall with his elbows on his knees, punching his right fist into his left hand, visibly shaking.

"Please don't do that." Tamara asked as she stood in front of him, grabbed his right hand, pulled his fingers straight and gently stroked the back of his hand with her right thumb.

"Why not? After what he's done to you and me." He sniffed loudly.

"Because that's not the kind of person that you are. And he's not worth getting that upset about anyway." She said as she cupped his face with her hands. "Come on, it's getting late and it's been a long day, let's go to bed."

Sébastien swallowed hard and nodded as she handed him his crutches. He gently grasped her hand and pulled her close to him as he balanced himself on his good leg.

"Sorry." He said as he closed his eyes, swallowed hard again and allowed a single tear to fall.

"Hey. It's ok. You don't have anything to be sorry for." Tamara shook her head as she kissed him and wiped his face. "I think someone's had a little too much wine tonight." She continued as she smiled and wrinkled her nose at him.

"Me too." Sébastien replied with a loud hiccup and an embarrassed smile.

He followed after her on his crutches, apologised again as she helped him remove his clothes and get him into bed. He watched her remove her own clothes before slipping herself under the covers.

He sniffed as she rested her head on his chest. He slowed his breathing, closed his eyes, pulled her close to him and sighed as she draped her arm across his stomach and gently stroked her head. He smiled as she dropped a gentle kiss onto his chest. He allowed a solitary tear to escape from his right eye as he wrapped his right arm around her and held her tight. Lying in that position, they quickly drifted off into a deep and happy sleep.

_______


"My God Des, Why didn't you tell me you could sing like that?" Tamara shook her head as she spoke to her neice. "That was absolutely beautiful."

Destiny lowered her head and looked up at her aunt through her long dark eyelashes.

"'Cos I don't think I'm very good Aunt Tam." Destiny whispered, shaking her head, clicking her thumbnails together at her chest and twisting the top half of her body as she spoke.

"Excuse me!" Tamara's eyes widened as she dropped her chin to chest, looking at Destiny as she did so. She thought for a minute and spoke again. "Do you know the words to 'What A Wonderful World'."

Destiny nodded.

"Want to give it a try?" Tamara winked and glanced to the doorway where Sébastien stood listening.

"Ok." Destiny nodded.

Tamara started playing the song then shook her head as the little girl started singing. Her voice clear, gentle, sweet, sounding full of confidence not like the shy little thing that had spoken a few seconds before.

Tamara shook her head as Destiny finished.

"Was that good too?" Destiny smiled, questioning Tamara.

"Very good."

Destiny's little eyes flew wide as she heard Sébastien's voice behind her. She turned her head and smiled as she said 'Thank you.' to him.

"That was very sneaky Aunt Tam." Destiny giggled as she skipped towards the door. She stopped as she reached Sébastien and beckoned him down towards her. He smiled as he bent down to her and gave a little laugh as she dropped a quick kiss on his cheek. She continued to skip towards the stairs with a beaming smile on her face as Tamara came to Sébastien's side.

"She was fantastic wasn't she?"

Sébastien turned to her with a gentle smile on his face and nodded.

"I wonder if Shari knows how good she is?" Tamara raised her eyebrows as she spoke and reached into her pocket for her mobile. Her face turned to one of concern as Shari answered. She listened carefully to what Shari said and nodded as she hung up.

"It's ok Shari, I'll err.......I'll talk to you about it some other time."

"What's wrong?" Sébastien asked as he saw the tears glistening in Tamara's eyes.

"Shari's father died this morning. She was just about to call my mother when she got my call. She's going to phone Mum and let her know."

"Poor kid. She was having such a good time too." Sébastien closed his eyes and shook his head as they turned out of the music room to head for the kitchen to get some lunch.

__________


"Who was that?" Tamara asked as she rested her head on Sébastien's shoulder from behind.

"No-one important" Sebastien smiled as he slapped his mobile phone shut.

Tamara shrugged and let out a little squeak as she moved over the lounge windows.

"Well that's our plans for today gone up in smoke." She said as she looked out into the pouring rain. She sighed as she heard Sébastien close his guitar case.

"Hmm. I suppose we'll have to think of something else to do until the others arrive." Sébastien smiled again as he moved up behind her, wrapped one arm around her shoulders and kissed her neck softly.

"We don't have time for that babe. That was Urs on the phone. They're only a couple of miles away."

"Merde!" Sébastien cursed as he pouted. "They must have left out really early."

"Poor baby." Tamara laughed as she gently patted his face. "You can have one of these though." She sighed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him very gently and very slowly.

"Mmm I like those." He sighed as she released him. "Can I have another one?"

"Later. Maybe." Tamara teased as she licked her lips and walked away from him. "C'mon let's go up to the house to meet them."

"You're going to pay for that." Sébastien hissed playfully as he followed after her.

"Oooh I do hope so" She teased as she quickly raised her eyebrows at him. Tamara laughed as she watched him shiver and roll his eyes into the back of his head

Tamara picked up a large umbrella as they left the guest bungalow and started to walk quickly back up to the main house.

The guest bungalow was just big enough for two people, consisting of a medium sized lounge tastefully decorated with modern furniture with one wall taken up by large French windows that opened onto a very large patio., a small, but perfectly functional kitchen had been built to left of that. Behind the lounge was a fairly large bedroom which had recently been undated and decorated in chocolate brown and cream. There didn't appear to be much storage in the room at first glance as it had been designed to appear as if there was none. You had to look very carefully to find it. A king-sized bed with plenty of cosy looking cushions and two nightstands appeared to be the only furniture in the room. Just behind the kitchen was the bathroom. Decorated in a tasteful yellow. Sébastien had cursed when he saw the bath and realised he wouldn't be able to use it while he had the cast on his leg. It was a very large and very deep roll top model.

"Plenty of room in there for two." He had mused when Tamara had shown it to him, for which he had received a quick elbow in the ribs. 'Maybe it was a bad idea to say that with her mother in the bungalow.' He had thought as he stuck his bottom lip out in a mock sulk making Tamara giggle as he did so.

He loved seeing her smile. She could never seem to force a smile, she never smiled with her mouth while her eyes looked like she would burst into tears at any moment. Tamara's smile always showed how happy she was and gave him a warm, contended feeling.

'Probably just about how the Divas feel when they all of us smiling at them.' He laughed to himself as he walked by Tamara's side.

Had he not been on crutches they would have made the journey up the pathway wrapped in each others arms but this was how it was going to be for the remaining three and a half weeks.

'Another three and a half weeks.' He grunted to himself.

Tamara opened the doors that allowed access to the lounge of the house and smiled at him as he made his way in. It was quiet a hike on crutches and he quickly dropped himself down onto the end of one of the sofas and smiled at Francine as she handed him a warming mug of coffee.

"How far away are they?" She asked as Tamara closed the French doors.

"Urs said ten minutes and that was almost fifteen minutes ago." Tamara giggled knowing that Urs hated being late for anything.

"I think I'd better go and find some towels. They're going to get soaked just walking from the cars to the house." Francine nodded as she looked out of the window. "I hope this stops." She huffed as she disappeared into the reception area.

Tamara made herself comfortable next to Sébastien and smiled broadly as he wrapped his arm around her waist and gently pulled her close to him. She checked her watch again and smiled when she heard the rap of the front door knocker.

"Sounds like they're here." She said as she made to stand up.

She laughed as Sébastien pulled her gently back to him, before kissing her just as she had kissed him just before they had left the bungalow.

"Told you you were going to pay didn't I?" He asked with a quick flick of his eyebrows as they both stood up.

Tamara continued to smile, rolled her eyes and shook her head as they headed towards the door.

_______


"Tam, I thought you said this place was small." David exclaimed as he stood in the reception area of Tamara's family home and looked around in wide-eyed wonder at the size of the place.

"It is. If you think this is big you should see Sue's father's place. That's twice as big." Tamara replied as she handed out the towels her mother had given her. She had been right, everyone was quite wet as they stepped through the doors.

"Where did that rain come from? It was sunny when we left Paris." Karen moaned.

"Where is she?" Sue smiled as she looked up the stairway.

"She's down at the kennels with Herc." Tamara smiled in reply, knowing instantly that Sue was looking for Destiny.

"I'm going to find her. I bet she's grown. How old was she the last time I saw her?" Sue asked as she made her way over to the lounge.

"Six, I think. Can you bring her back up to the house? I think she would like to meet a certain person." Tamara winked as she glanced at Urs.

Sue rolled her eyes into her head and nodded as she grabbed an umbrella from a varied selection in a large container that was kept in the reception area.

"Hey Seb, you're looking well. This country air obviously agrees with you." David beamed as he gave him a brotherly hug.

"I don't think it's the country air that's doing him good." Carlos waggled his eyebrows as he gave the same hug.

Tamara and Sébastien blushed bright red as he looked at them.

"You're five minutes late." Sébastien teased Urs as they hugged each other.

"That's Carlos' fault, he turned left instead of right at one point." Urs winced as Carlos punched his arm playfully.

"It was not my fault. I asked Sue if we needed to turn left and she said right." Carlos retorted.

Everyone laughed and shook their heads at him as he smiled and shrugged.

"Where are your parents?" Arry asked.

"They've gone to the village to get something for dinner tonight."

"I thought they were going to have the place to themselves?" Sébastien whispered in Tamara's ear.

She nodded as she replied. "They are. Mum and Pop are taking Destiny to visit my Grandmother before she leaves to go back to England tomorrow."

Sébastien nodded then smiled as Sue returned with Destiny. He watched Destiny as Tamara introduced her to David, Carlos and Urs. He laughed as he saw how shy she suddenly became when she said hello to Urs.

"What the hell is that?" Carlos asked as he saw Hercules sitting by Sébastien's injured leg.

"Tamara's pet dog. Hercules." Sébastien replied.

"Ugly looking thing isn't he?" Carlos questioned.

Sébastien laughed as Hercules growled.

"Hey! You leave my baby alone Carlos Marin or I'll set him on you."

"What?! You wouldn't." Carlos shook his head.

"Wouldn't I?" Tamara smiled and flicked her eyebrows.

Carlos looked from Hercules to Tamara then back to Hercules. He wrinkled his nose as he saw Hercules drooling.

"Ok. I am leaving the huge ugly dog alone." He nodded as he raised his hands in surrender. He gulped as heard Hercules growl again.

"C'mon let's get your bags up to your rooms." Tamara laughed as she moved towards the stairs. "Hercules!" She flicked her head and smiled as he stood and made his way back towards the lounge. She laughed as he paused and snuffed a breath back at Carlos.

____________


"This house is very deceptive Tam." Karen said as Tamara showed her and David into the room where they would be staying. "It doesn't look this big from the outside."

Karen looked at David and laughed when she saw the beaming smile on his face. He was staring a the huge oak carved four poster bed in a very suggestive manner, making Karen blush bright red as he did so.

"Love this room Tam." David said still beaming. "Where are you and Seb?"

"Down there." Tamara laughed as she pointed out of the window.

"Hey, that's not fair!" David frowned as he saw the guest bungalow.

Tamara shook her head and giggled as she turned back to Karen

The room itself contained the said four poster bed at the bottom end of which stood a Chippendale love seat covered in French green silk. Two large old wardrobe stood either side of matching chest of drawers, another large mirror, this time in an oak frame had been hung above those. All of the woodwork in the room, including the floors, had been stripped back to reveal beautiful oak floorboards, simple but expensive rugs added touch of luxury. The bed itself had been covered in cream bedding that complimented the French green painted walls. Cream painted louvre style shutters gave the required covering for the large window.

"Have you see what's over there?" Tamara smiled, pointing out of the window again.

"Oooh stables. Do you know the owner?" Karen asked whilst looking to where Tamara indicated.

"Yes. We're all booked to go riding the day after tomorrow."

"How can Séb ride with a cast on his leg?" David asked as he came to Karen's side and kissed her gently on the cheek.

"There are ways around everything David." Tamara winked at him as she left the room.

"I thought you might like this room." Tamara said as she showed Urs and Arry into the room she'd set aside for them nextdoor to David and Karen..

"Wow!" Arry exclaimed as Tamara opened the wooden shutters.

"You think that view is good, just wait until you see the sun setting over there." She smiled as she pointed to the right.

Their room had similar furniture to the one David and Karen were in but this time made from a red mahogany. The bed also made from the same red mahogany but this time a Queen sized French Provence design and covered in aubergine bedding, but this time. The woodwork had been finished in the same way, the walls this time painted in a tasteful orchid purple.

"Nice room." Urs nodded as he spoke. "Which one are you and Seb in?"

"We're not in the main house?" Tamara shook her head and smiled.

"Where are you then?" Arry piped.

"Down there." Tamara smiled and nodded out of the window.

"Awwww!" Arry whined, wrinkling her nose and tutting in the process.

Tamara shrugged and smiled as she moved to leave the room. Arry returned the smile as Urs took her in his arms to look out of the window.

__________


"Yay! My favourite room!" Sue exclaimed as Tamara opened the door and allowed her and Carlos to enter.

"How do you know this is your favourite room?" Carlos demanded as he dropped their suitcases to the floor.

"I've slept in it enough times." Sue grinned while Tamara attempted to control her laughter.

"Explain!" Carlos roared.

"As a child. Did you listen to a word I said on drive up here?" Sue questioned with her arms folded across her chest.

Carlos looked at her quizcally.

"You don't remember me telling you how long Tam and I have been friends?" Sue shook her head.

"Oh Si, I remember now." Carlos grimmaced. "And you used to stay at each other's homes at the weekends, Si?"

"Si, And I always slept in this room." Sue nodded.

"So why it is your favourite?"

"I'll show you later." Sue winked at him then looked up at the ceiling.

"Which room are you in?" Carlos asked Tamara.

"We're not. We're in the guest bungalow down there." Tamara replied as she pointed out of the window one more time.

"Huh! I like that, you two get the privacy." Carlos grumbled.

Tamara quickly whispered in his ear and stretched her arms out quiet wide apart.

"Really?! They're that thick?" Carlos exclaimed.

Tamara nodded.

"That's all right then." He replied with a quick flick of his eyebrows.

Tamara laughed as she left the room that had been decorated along similar lines to the other two, the colour this time being a cosy cobalt blue and the bed an English Edwardian sleigh model in Ash, covered in Parisian blue bedding.

"Have you shown them all the bathroom yet?" Sébastien asked with a laugh as he met her at the bottom of the stairs.

Tamara pursed her lips together and shook her head. "Thought I'd let them discover that for themselves."

She laughed loudly as she heard the bathroom door give its usual long squeak and a loud 'OH MY GOD!' from Karen.

"Sounds like Karen found it." Sébastien laughed as she came to the top of the stairs and stood there open-mouthed.

"Something wrong Kaz?" Tamara giggled.

"Bathroom. Wow!!!" Was all that Karen could manage to say as she pointed in the general direction of the room with a huge smile on her face.

_______


Dinner that night started with Francine Fox's favourite Cheese Soufflé. The main course consisted of a Salmon and Spinach terrine served with a special rice, her husband's favourite dish. The meal was finished with Tamara's favourite very rich chocolate cake that her mother had added her own little twist to. Francine was determined that no-one was going to bed hungry and constantly offered extra helpings. Urs was particularly fond of the chocolate cake and had more than one serving. Three bottles of white wine from Sue's father's vineyard washed it all down.

They retreated to the music room afterwards. Tamara had begged and pleaded for her father to play the oboe only to be given a very firm 'No'

"I couldn't even if I wanted to Tam. I need buy a new one."

"What happened?" Tamara asked as she looked at the huge crack that ran down the bottom half of the instrument.

"Destiny had a little accident with it after we told her about her grandfather."

"Oh." Tamara nodded. "Does she still want to visit grandma?"

Richard Fox nodded and smiled.

Another hour of music and song followed. Tamara laughed as she watched her mother sitting in the music room with a dreamy-eyed look her face as she listened to Il Divo singing live in her home.

________


"Does your mother feed all of her guests like that?" Carlos asked as the group made its way down to the bungalow.

"No, You're just greedy." Sue teased as she patted his overfull stomach.

"I don't think I'm going to eat for a week." David exclaimed as he loosened his belt by a couple of notches.

"Yeah right, that'll be the day." Karen exclaimed as she shook her head at him. "Mr Hollow-legs."

"What was in that cake she made?" Urs asked.

"Why? Did you like it?" Tamara smiled as she saw Urs lick his lips.

Urs nodded enthusiastically

"Well, I'm not going to tell you." Tamara shook her head. "It's a secret that will only be passed on to me."

"I couldn't have eaten anymore of it though." Urs shook his head. "Two servings of that was more than enough."

"Pardon! I think you lost count Monsieur Buhler." Arry informed him.

Urs looked at her quizically. "Ok, three." He smiled as he shrugged.

"It's a good job she's left us to ourselves for the next few days otherwise I think we would all have to be going on diets when we got home." Sébastien laughed as he dropped himself down onto a chair. "I'm not sure that I don't need to already." He smiled and patted his stomach.

Tamara nodded as she opened the doors that lead from the patio into the lounge.

"I'll just go and get some glasses and we can get stuck into that wine." She smiled back at Sébastien as she made her way in.

"Hurry up Tam!" she heard Sue yell as she reached the kitchen. "You know this one is my favourite."

Tamara quickly searched through the cupboards, found a tray and eight wine glasses and returned outside. The remainder of the evening was spent in jovial conversation and demolishing almost six bottles of the winery's best red wine between all of them.

_______


Sébastien watched her as she tidied up the mess he'd left behind himself that morning. The others had made their way back up to the house five minutes before.

"Tam?"

She stopped what she was doing and looked at him as she heard his questioning tone.

"What?"

"How come you never complain about having to tidy up after me?"

Tamara laughed. "I do. You just never seem to hear me." She said as she put his dirty clothes into the laundry basket. "God! It's hot tonight."

"It's even hotter where I'm looking." Sébastien exclaimed with a cheeky smile.

"What's that supposed to........Sébastien Izambard!!" Tamara yelled as she followed his eyes down to her cleavage.

She looked at him through narrowed eyes as she noticed that she wouldn't be able to get passed him. She kept her eyes locked on his as she walked towards him. She moved to pass him on the right then quickly changed direction and managed to get by on his without him catching hold of her. She gulped as she heard him crashing to the floor.

"Oh babe I'm sorry. Are you ok?" She asked as she knelt by his side.

"Non. I hit my head on the bed." Sébastien replied as he cupped his left hand over the left side of his forehead.

"Let me see." Tamara asked as she pulled his hand away.

"Got you!!" Sébastien yelled as he quickly wrapped both arms around her waist and pulled her down to him.

"Ooh you are..." She moaned as he unzipped her dress and slid his right hand between the fabric and her skin.

"Do you want me to stop?" Sébastien asked as he kissed her neck, his right hand gently carressing her naked back.

"Don't you dare." Tamara replied.

"Ok." He whispered as he quickly flipped her onto her back and kissed her lips.

Tamara gasped as he slowly inched her out of the dress, dropping soft little kisses on her body as the dress moved further down. She shuddered as he kissed her hip. The dress finally ended up somewhere on the other side of the room. He slowly removed the rest of her clothing then stood, with a little difficulty, to remove his own. Tamara locked her eyes on his again as Sébastien lowered himself onto her and slowly, gently, loved her.

_______


"Wow! Tam was right. This sunset is beautiful." Arry sighed as she watched bands of red, orange, yellow and gold filling the night sky whilst standing at the window wrapped in Urs's arms once more.

"Certainly is, but not as beautiful as the woman I have in my arms right now." Urs smiled as he kissed her cheek.

Arry blushed a slightly as she turned round to face him. She still found it hard to believe she was in this position. Enveloped in his strong, muscular arms. Her body held tightly, but gently against his. Enraptured by his soulful hazel eyes as they looked at each other.

"I love you Arry." He whispered as he bent to kiss her.

She didn't get chance to reply as his lips touched hers, lightly at first then deepening as her legs buckled under her slightly. She bit her lip lightly on feeling his hands slip down her back to undo the belt of her bathrobe. She closed her eyes in anticipation of his gentle fingers touching her skin. She wasn't disappointed when she arched her back in pleasure, pushing her body even closer to his as he slowly tracked the path of her spine. She shuddered at the tiny sparks of electricity she felt as he did so.

Urs lifted her off the ground, breathed deep as she wrapped her long legs around his waist and carried her over to the bed. When they reached it he bent over and laid Arry onto the bed. He lowered himself on top of her but quickly shifted so that he took most of his weight on one elbow and one knee. He kissed every detail of her softly as he loved her.

___________


"Ok young lady, show me what's so special about this room." Carlos demanded as he spun Sue into his arms and crushed her lips with his own.

"I can't, not from here. I need to be over by the door." Sue replied as he released her.

Carlos let her go for a few seconds and watched her as she flipped a switch on the wall that she had indicated.

"Well?" She asked as she walked back into his waiting arms.

"I don't see anything." He replied.

Sue shook her head at him and lifted his chin to look at the ceiling.

"Wow! It's just like........." He began as he saw a multitude of twinkling little lights.

"being outside at nightime." Sue finished for him with a broad smile.

"I like the idea of that." Carlos exclaimed as he scooped Sue into his arms.

"Me too." Sue whispered into his ear. She bit her lip as he shuddered.

"Do that again." Carlos asked as he dropped her gently onto the bed and laid himself on top of her. Sue did as he requested and giggled as he shuddered again.

"You like that don't you?" She asked.

"Mmmm." Carlos replied as he rolled onto his back, pulling Sue gently on top of him as he did so. "I love you." he whispered as he moved his hand around to the back of her head, pulled her close and kissed her deeply. Sue moaned as his tongue slid gently into her mouth.

"Te quiero." Sue replied as he pulled away slightly.

Carlos nodded as he rolled Sue over again, kissed her deeply again and loved her gently.

________


"Yes you would." Karen giggled as she looked into David's laughing eyes. "You would have finished that last bottle if I hadn't asked Tam to take it away from you. Then you would have been complaining of major hangover in the morning."

"I didn't have that much." David laughed. "Seb had more than I did."

"Maybe so, but he's French, he can hold his drink better than you." Karen laughed as she patted his face gently.

David laughed as he nodded. "You're right. Now come here and let me kiss you." He asked as he gently grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him. She moaned in the back of her throat as he kissed her slowly.

"I love you Karen." He whispered as he released her and touched her forehead with his own.

"Huh?" Karen questioned, wobbling slightly in his arms. "Oh! I love you t........" She stopped talking as slightly firmer kiss was planted on her lips. She sighed softly with each movement of his lips against hers and gasped as his hands slipped further around her waist, pulling her gently closer to him.

She allowed a little laugh of delight to escape as he slowly spun her towards the bed and loved her.

___________


The following day had dawned bright and warm and they had all spent their exploring the winery and the local village, buying locally produced food items to take home.

Their third day had begun much the same as the day before and they had all gone horse riding as planned. David gave Tamara a round of applause when he saw her and Sébastien sitting on the same rather large horse.

All too soon it was time to pack and return to Paris. Tamara kissed her parents goodbye and promised she and Seb would pay another visit as soon as his schedule permitted. Tamara giggled as she watched her mother turn bright red as everyone else kissed her goodbye and thanked her and Richard for their hospitality. Francine Fox blushed even redder when Carlos took hold of her right and gently kissed the back of it.

Tamara huffed as she felt the raindrops on her face it. She pushed the button on the dashboard and sighed as she heard the top begin to rise and fall into place. She blew out a breath as she looked at the distance marker. Five more miles and they would all be back in Paris. She smiled as she glanced at Sébastien sleeping in the passenger seat again and recalled what had happened after the conversations her father had had with him. How red had he gone when he had finished with him?

She tutted to herself as she remembered how they had all laughed together as she told him some of her childhood misadventures. She sighed deeply and smiled as she recalled how gentle he had been every time they had made love to each other. She sniffed back her tears as remembered how he had cried in her arms one night, after he'd had a nightmare about Gil coming after them both, more worried about her than himself. She rolled her eyes into her head as she counted how many times he had told her he loved her.

Tamara startled as she heard the very loud bang near the front of her car.

The car juddered and flew across to the side of the road as she fought with the steering wheel. She tried to brake hard and nothing happened. The car continued to move forward and sideways maintaining its speed. She heard the screech of tyres and screamed as the car hit some unseen obstacle, flew through the air then tumbled over once, twice then a third time eventually coming to rest on its left side with the engine still running.

"Seb. Are you..........."

________


"What the fuck are you doing with that?" He asked as he sped the black BMW away from the scene of the crash.

"What?" His cousin shrugged as he laughed. "Well obviously what you got your friend to do wasn't going to work was it? I always carry one anyway."

"What if you've killed them?"

"Nah! They'll only be a bit battered and bruised. She wasn't driving that fast."

He shook his head and took a quick look in the rearview mirror. He could see a large cloud of dust and bit his lip as he saw three cars stop suddenly. He pursed his lips together and blinked against the sting of tears as he saw the three men and three women standing by the side of the road looking down into the deep ditch. He was glad he couldn't see any of their faces.

'I hope they're okay.' He whispered to himself as he glanced at his cousin and swallowed bile.

_____________


"Shhh I think he's starting to wake." A Spanish voice.

Darkness fell again.

"Maybe this time." American accent.

Blackness once more.

Bright light. Too bright.

"Oh you're awake." He heard another familiar accent.

"Urs, is that you?" Sébastien asked as he tried to sit up. He hissed as he tried to straighten his left arm.

"Yes it's me. Don't try to do that. You're left arm is in a cast." Urs replied.

"I don't understand. I broke my leg, not my arm." Sébastien informed as he shook his head.

"Don't you remember anything about the accident on the way back from Tamara's parents' place?" Urs asked.

"What? Non! When? What happened? Where's Tamara? Is she ok?"

"Yesterday evening. It was awful to see. We all thought you were both........." Urs shook his head and closed his eyes as images of the crash replayed in his mind. "Your arm was trapped in a very awkward position. They broke it while they were getting you out."

Sébastien swallowed hard and stared open-mouthed as he listened to Urs speak, almost disbelieving what he was hearing.

"You've been unconscious for almost a day. They're not sure how the accident happened yet, they think one of the tyres blew out and Tamara lost control." Urs informed him.

"Where is she?" Sébastien asked again.

Urs closed his eyes and swallowed hard as he sat on the bed beside Sébastien.

"No! Oh God No! Don't tell me that Urs. Please don't tell me she's dead." He yelled as he saw a tear roll down his friend's cheek.

"Seb, I'm sorry....."

"Nooo!!!!" Sébastien yelled. He looked at Urs face and saw his lips moving but didn't hear what he was saying. He heard himself sniffing and his breathing becoming more ragged. "DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME SHE'S DEAD. DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!" He screamed and swung his right arm as hard as he could at Urs' face

"Seb! Please calm down." Urs asked as he grabbed Sébastien's arm, quickly pulled him close to him and held him tight. "I'm so sorry if I scared you. I really didn't mean to." Urs shook his head. "Tam isn't dead."

"Where is she?" Sébastien asked through his sobs.

"Two floors up. She's in the Intensive Care Unit."

Sébastien swallowed hard and shook violently as he asked his next question.

"How bad is she?"

"She's in a pretty bad way." Urs sighed and shook his head.

Sébastien breathed rapidly and shook his head. "You're lying. Please Urs, tell me you're lying." He screwed his eyes tight together as he waited for a reply.

"I wish I could my friend." Urs replied as he pulled Sébastien away from his shoulder. He allowed his own tears to fall as he saw the distress etched on Sébastien's face.

"I want to see her. I have to see her. Take me to her." He insisted as he threw the sheets from his body, swung his legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand.

"Seb! You shouldn't.....!" Urs yelled as he crumpled to the floor.

"Please Urs just......just take me to her." He requested as Urs helped him back onto the bed.

"Ok. Ok." Urs nodded and closed his eyes as he tried to calm Sébastien down. "I'll get a wheelchair from somewhere and I'll take you."

________


"Get the hell away from me!!" He yelled at the orderly who tried to take the wheelchair from Urs' grip.

"You're not supposed to be out of bed. You have a concussion." The orderly informed him as he barred the way.

"I don't care. Move!!"

"No." The orderly stood firm.

Sébastien narrowed his eyes and glared at him.

"I said move!"

The orderly folded his arms across his broad chest and continued to bar the way. He looked at Urs quizically as he saw him smirking.

"Excuse me!" David beamed as he tapped the orderly on the shoulder.

"What?" The orderly asked as he turned to face him.

"Nothing, just....." David continued as he pushed the orderly against the wall and held him there whilst Urs pushed Sébastien towards the lift.

"Thanks David." Sébastien whispered as he passed him.

"No worries." David tried to smile.

"Where's Carlos?" Sébastien asked as the lift doors closed.

"He's with Sue waiting outside Tamara's. You know she's her oldest friend?"

Sébastien nodded.

"She's not handling things at all well. They've had to give her something to calm her down." Urs informed him. "She was inconsolable when they finally got Tamara out of the car. It seemed to take forever to get you both out." He shook his head as he spoke.

"Have Tamara's parents been called?" Sébastien nodded again.

"Yes, they're with her right now. They did come down to see you last night, but you wouldn't remember that. You were well out of it. Well here we are." Urs exclaimed as the lift doors opened. "Are you sure you're ok to do this?"

Sébastien swallowed hard and nodded. He swallowed hard again and closed his eyes as they approached her room. He tried to hold back the tears as he heard her friend's voices.

"Seb, are you ok?" from Arry.

He nodded.

"You're sure?" from Karen.

He nodded again.

"I go and tell Richard and Francine your here. Then I'll need to talk to you before you see her." Karen informed him as she kissed him gently on the cheek.

He blinked slowly through tear filled eyes as he saw Sue sitting on a chair staring at the floor.

"Is she ok?" He asked as Carlos held her tight.

Carlos nodded slightly and closed his eyes slowly. "She's fine, don't you worry about her."

"Ok Seb. I want you to listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you." Karen began as she came back to him. "Richard and Francine are going to let you see Tamara on your own in a moment or two but I want to prepare you for what you're about to see. Ok?"

Sébastien swallowed hard once more and nodded.

"Seb, The doctors have Tamara in a drug induced coma at the moment." Karen began.

"Oh Non!" Sébastien closed his eyes, swallowed hard and raised his right hand to his mouth as he spoke.

"It's ok. They've done that because she's struggling to breathe for herself because her lungs are bruised, she's connected to a ventilator to help her. She's also suffered a small brain injury and the doctor's have her sedated to stop her moving. There's a lot of equipment surrounding her, most of which are monitors. You'll hear the one that's monitoring her heartbeat. That will give off a steady beeping noise. She's also got several wires and tubes connected to various parts of her body. It's important that you don't touch them or lean on any of them. You can hold her hand and talk to her but whatever you do, please don't try to move her. Do you understand?"

Sébastien nodded again.

"Ok, I'll take you in." Karen continued as she took the wheelchair from Urs' grip and pushed him through the door.

"Oh mon Dieu!" Sébastien exclaimed quietly under his right hand as he saw her.

"We'll leave you alone with her for a while." Richard said as he knocked a tear from his eye, squeezed the back of Sébastien's left hand and gently lead his wife out of the room.

"Thanks." Sébastien whispered and nodded as Karen pushed him close to the bed.

"I'll just be outside. Ok?" Karen informed as she applied the brakes to the wheelchair. "Talk to her." She whispered as she gave him a gentle squeeze on the shoulder before leaving.

"Ok. Thanks Kaz." Sébastien said through his tears. He blew out a long breath as he took Tamara's right hand in his own and gently kissed the back of it. "Chéri, it's ok. I'm here."

She looked so small and vulnerable as she lay unmoving in the bed. Battered and bruised around the left side of her face, she almost didn't look like his Tamara. Her hair had been brushed away from her face and all of it rested in a loose plait on her right shoulder. He desparately wanted to take her in his arms and hold her tight but knew that he couldn't. He looked at the medical equipment that surrounded her. The ventilator, the heart monitor, the tubes and wires attached to her body. He didn't much care what they were for, he just wanted her in his arms again. He just managed to take the brakes off the wheelchair and pushed himself a little further forward so that his face was almost level with hers.

"Tam." He held her hand tighter. "Please let me know you can hear me. I want you to squeeze my hand a little, just a little chéri."

He stopped speaking and waited. She didn't move.

He raised his left arm and, with some difficulty, managed to stroke her face.

"Please Tam. I love you."

He waited again. Still nothing.

"I'm not going to leave until you show me you can hear me."

She didn't move.

"Tam please, I'm not complete without you. Not any more." He shook his head.

Nothing.

"It's ok." He nodded his head and allowed his tears to stream down his face. "I understand. You need to rest. It's late now. Get some sleep. I will still be here when you wake." He sniffed and swallowed hard as he raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it gently again. He pressed both of their hands to his right cheek and slowly lowered both hands and his head to the bed just to the right side of her stomach. He kept his eyes focused on her closed ones as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Yves Delven dropped his head as he stood before one of Paris's richest men. He grimmaced as he started to shout angrilly at him.

"What do you mean, there's nothing you can do? You've done it in the past and have been well paid for doing so. Very well paid."

"I know Henri, but there is not much more I can do for you or him...." Yves paused as he nodded towards the most evil of Henri Bertrand's three children. "I was removed from office this morning."

"What?!" Henri exploded. He sprang from his chair and swept the pile of papers on his desk to the floor with one sweep of his arm.

Yves nodded and gulped. He nodded before continuing to speak. "They turned up with a search warrant and a couple of vans."

"Looking for what?" Henri exploded again. "You did destroy all of that evidence didn't you?" He asked whilst glaring evilly at Yves.

"No! No I didn't. I kept it, in case I ever needed some leverage against you."

Henri Bertrand dropped back into his chair, folded his arms across his chest and leaned backwards as he laughed.

"I suppose you think you've been very clever?" He nodded.

Yves gulped audibly as he heard the tone of his voice and his eyes widened as he realised he'd basically given his colleagues the evidence they would need to prosecute Henri and himself.

"I can get him out of the country. After what he's just admitted to you he needs to leave for a while, let things cool down if you will." Yves tried as he nodded towards Gil. "But we're going to have to work quickly."

"I'll need plenty of money." Gil piped whilst standing at his father's office window looking down to the road below.

"What for?" Henri questioned, turning to face him. He laughed as he saw the devious look on his face. "What have you got planned?"

"You'll find out in a few months." Gil replied whilst tapping a large stiff brown envelope against his right thigh. "Just get me out of here and across to Texas."

He smiled before laughing evilly again with his father.

__________


"You can't go looking for him!" Urs yelled from his kitchen.

Three Divos and their girlfriends had retreated to Urs's apartment once it started to get dark. It was the closest to the hospital and would mean they could all get there quickly if they needed to.

"Why the f*ck not?" Carlos demanded. "He's gone too far now. He's hurt Seb twice and now Tamara is in a coma. I don't care what you say Urs, I'm going to find the bastardo and I'm going to...." He continued as he stormed towards the apartment door

"Going to do what?" Sue raised her head to look at him.

Her eyes were red and raw from all the crying she had done over the past few hours. She looked exhausted, but managed to stand and face him. "What are you going to do? You don't know for sure that he was involved, though you're probably right...." She raised a hand to stop him as Carlos opened his mouth to speak again.

"None of you know how dangerous Gil is, what he's capable of. Even I don't know that and I've known him as long as Tam has. And you want to race off out there..." Sue flicked her head. "to do what? Slap him around a bit, give him a good kicking. Do you seriously think that will do any good?"

"Why wouldn't it?" David snapped and looked at Sue as he did so.

"It just wouldn't!!" Sue yelled back. "It would only drive him to do more. Think about it for a moment. If he does carry a gun, which I have no doubt he does, he's probably willing to use it. Do you really want to go up against an armed man?"

"I don't care if he's armed, I'm still going." Carlos shook his head and continued towards the door.

"Me too." David informed as he moved to stand up.

"No you're not." Karen shook her head, grabbed is arm and pulled him back down.

"For God's sake man!" Sue yelled. "Don't you think I...we've been through enough today without having to worry about you?"

Carlos stopped as he laid his hand on the door handle.

"Don't." Urs shook his head and nodded his head towards the lounge.

Carlos turned to see Sue standing in the doorway to the lounge crying in Arry's arms. He sighed heavily, walked over to her and gently took her into his arms.

"I'm sorry. You are right. Stupid idea." He whispered as he gently rocked her.

Sue lifted her head from his shoulder, slapped his arm hard, gave him a weak smile then returned to her previous position.

"Look it's been a long day, we're all tired." Urs sighed heavily. "I think we all need to get some sleep. Perhaps cooler heads will prevail in the morning."

Arry smiled at him and disappeared into the bedroom. She soon returned with her arms filled with blankets and pillows. David and Karen made themselves comfortable on one of Urs' sofa's while Carlos and Sue curled up together on the other one.

Urs and Arry retreated to the bedroom and quickly fell asleep wrapped in each others arms.

___________


He snatched his head up from the bed as her heard her voice at the door.

"Sébastien." She whispered.

"Maman."

"Are you all right?" His mother asked in French as she came to his side.

"I'm fine."

"Has she......?"

Sébastien shook his head as he spoke.

"No, she hasn't moved anything yet, even though her sedation has been reduced. She hasn't reacted to anything at all. Everyone has been to see her and there's nothing, not so much as a twitch. Not even for her parents. I don't understand this Maman. How did she end up like this and I escaped with just a broken arm and a few bruises? It's so unfair."

"Sshhh chéri." His mother gently stroked his back and comforted him as he sobbed onto their entwined hands. "The doctor thinks it was because you were asleep when the accident happened. Do the police know what caused it yet?"

Sébastien nodded his head. "They said they found a bullet hole in the driver's side front tyre and it looks like the brakes had been tampered with too."

"What?! Someone purposefully fired at the car and......."

Sébastien nodded again.

"I have my suspicions who might have done it too."

"You mean that Gil Bertrand person?"

"Yes, though even if he is involved he will probably never pay for it."

Sébastien swallowed hard as her saw the look of astonishment on his mother's face.

"Maman, What's wrong?"

"Have you seen the news or read a newspaper today?"

Sébastien shook his head.

"Non, I've hardly left her side since yesterday. Why?"

"Just wait one minute and I'll show you." His mother replied as she quickly left the room.

He returned to listening to the rythmical beep of the heart monitor and the gentle breathing sounds from the ventilator as the door closed behind her. He held Tamara's hand gently as he spoke to her.

"Come on chéri, please wake up. I know you can hear me. I love you so much. I....I....Oh God please Tam, just a small sign that you know I'm here. Please just squeeze my hand a little."

He allowed his tears to fall as he felt nothing.

"Here read this." his mother insisted as she gave him the morning newspaper.

Sébastien wiped his face as he laid the paper on the bed and began to read.

"Is this true? Have they really been arrested on bribery and corruption charges?"

"Yes. Their homes and offices are being searched right now."

Sébastien's eyes flew wide and he listened in horror as the heart monitor ceased its rythmical beeping and produced an ear-piercing rythmical alarm. He bit his lip hard as he saw Tamara's lips starting to turn blue.

"No! Oh God No! Tamaaaaaaaaaaara!!" He screamed as the nurse he knew only as Célia crashed through the door.

"You have to leave the room and let us help her." She informed him as she pushed the emergency call button.

'Code blue, code blue. Room 12.' He heard in French over the loadspeaker.

"No! I'm not leaving her."

"I'm sorrry but you have to." Célia insisted as her doctor, another nurse and a resuscitation trolley were brought into the room. "You're in the way there."

"Come on Sébastien." his mother insisted as she wheeled him away. "Let them help her."

"Come on Tamara don't you do this." The doctor yelled as he pushed down on her chest. "One - one thousand, two - one thousand, three - one thousand, four - one thousand, five - one thousand."

Two breaths on the airbag. The doctor felt for a pulse. He shook his head.

Sébastien watched through the window with his hand clasped over his mouth as they continued to work. He swallowed hard as the doctor injected drugs into her to try to get her heart pumping again.

"Come on Tamara!" he heard the doctor yell as he charged the paddles.

Sébastien flinched as he watched Tamara's body jump on the bed. Célia checked for a pulse and shook her head.

"Please chéri." Sébastien prayed with his unplastered hand over his mouth.

The doctor repeated the procedure and Célia shook her head once more.

"Please Tam, please don't leave me." Sébastien whispered with his eyes closed.

They tried once more, Célia checked again, nodded, a small smile spread across her lips and her light green eyes brightened.

"It's ok, she's back with us." The doctor said as he left the room and spoke to Sébastien.

"Oh thank God!" Sébastien exclaimed with a very deep sigh and his hand clamped over his mouth.

"You can go back in, in a few minutes." The doctor nodded and smiled.

"What happened?" Sébastien asked as he dried his eyes.

"A small blood clot, probably from the brain injury, stopped her heart beating for few moments. And another one on the lung, a pulmonary embolus, stopped her breathing. The drugs we've given her should break up any others she might have. She should be ok now."

Célia and the other nurse smiled softly as his mother wheeled him back in. Sébastien took her hand once more and spoke to her gently.

"Please don't do that again chéri, you had me so scared." He sobbed as he laid his forehead on top of their hands. He sighed deeply as he felt his mother wrap a comforting arm around his shoulders.

________


Voices. Lots of voices. Too many. Where's his? Can't find him.

Throat hurts. Can't swallow.

Tired. So very, very tired.

Sleep. Need to sleep for a very long time.

Found him. Can't move. Why?

Chest hurts. Can't breathe.

"Tamara, Can you hear my voice?"

"Yes. Who are you? Where am I?

"I'm a friend. I've come to show you the way. Do not be afraid. All is peace here."

She heard a soft, gentle whisper. A light, airy female voice came somewhere from the whiteness that surrounded her as she opened her eyes. She could hear another voice calling her name. It was very faint, but full of anguish, pain, distress.

"Come towards the light." The gentle voice whispered.

She turned and saw a brilliant white glow before her, but didn't feel afraid.

"I don't think I want to." She shook her head.

"Come towards the light. You will find peace here." The voice encouraged again.

"No! I know I don't want to."

"You are sure?."

"I feel like I have to go back to whoever that is calling me." Tamara nodded

"You hear him?" The voice questioned.

Tamara nodded again but very slowly. "Faintly. He sounds like he's in pain, like some part of him is being torn away."

"Very well. If you can hear him then it is not your time. I will send you back. You will sleep a while longer and forget this time."

"Thank you."

"Then prepare to seep a while longer."

"Yes. Sleep. Sorry babe, not my fault. Love you."

________


Tamara hadn't moved for two days, Sébastien had hardly moved from her side and the doctors were starting to worry. She should be at least starting to wake up. They couldn't figure out why she wasn't.

He raised his head slightly, turned to look at her and squeezed her hand slightly.

"Come on Tam. Please wake up." He whispered as he sighed heavily and laid his head back down of their entwined ones.

He ignored the first little flicker she made, thinking he was dreaming again. He'd thought he'd felt something move several times before only to raise his head and feel nothing more. He swallowed hard and tried to surpress a sob as he closed his eyes again.

Sébastien snatched his head up and his eyes flew wide. He was sure, absolutely sure that he'd felt something move under his head.

"Tamara!" He paused and bit his lip gently. "Tam, Can you hear me?"

He gasped as he felt another gentle squeeze.

"Squeeze my hand again chéri."

He waited for a couple of seconds and glanced at his mother as Tamara gave his hand a slightly harder squeeze.

"I'll get some help." His mother said as they heard the gagging and rasping sounds coming from Tamara's throat.

"Come on chéri, keep fighting." Sébastien encouraged her.

"Let me through." Her doctor yelled as he came to her side and saw that she was quickly regaining consciousness. "Ok Tamara. Try to stay calm. You have a tube down your throat that's been helping you to breathe but now you're body is fighting against it and trying to breathe on its own. I need you to take a deep breath."

Sébastien kept hold of her hand tightly and watched as Tamara did as the doctor asked. The doctor gently pulled on the tube until he reached a critical point.

"Ok Tamara. Now give me a big cough."

She followed his instructions once more.

"Good girl. That's it. It's out now. Breathe normally."

Tamara nodded and gave a weak smile.

"It's all right babe." She whispered as Sébastien buried his face into the side of her neck.

"I thought I'd lost you." He sobbed quietly.

"Sshh. I'm not going anywhere." She comforted him as she raised her hand to the back of his head and held him close while he cried.

Tamara nodded, breathed deeply and allowed her tears to fall as she watched his mother leave the room with a gentle smile on her face.

________


"Well?" Gil questioned as the surgeon continued to look at him. "Can it be done?"

The surgeon looked at Gil as he flicked through the photographs.

"It will take some time. It's going to mean a lot of surgery and lot of time in recovery." The surgeon spoke in a deep Texan drawl as he nodded. "I think I can safely say it can be done, but it is going to be very expensive.

"How's this for a starter?" Gil asked as he popped a briefcase open.

The surgeon's eyes immediately lit up as he saw the case full of American dollars. "Nice. A very nice start indeed." He moved to snatch the case from Gil's grip.

"Ah-ah. Not yet." Gil shook his head, snatched the case back and locked it. "How long?"

"It really depends on how well you heal. I can't really say."

"Ok." Gil huffed a laugh. "When do we start?"

He watched as the surgeon called his receptionist into his consulting room and made an appointment for him.

"The earliest appointment I have is six weeks from today at 1:30?" The surgeon questioned.

"Fine." Gil nodded as he stood to leave.

"The money?" The surgeon smiled.

"You'll get it in stages. For each successful surgery you will be paid. Fail and you will....." He didn't finish but opened the left side of his jacket. "You understand?"

The surgeon gulped loudly as he saw the gun under Gil's armpit and nodded. "Just one question before you go?" The surgeon asked.

Gil turned to face him and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Why do you want to look.......?" He stopped as he saw Gil shaking his head and pursing his lips hard together and decided it would not be a good idea to push his new client for an answer.

___________


Several weeks have passed. Tamara has recovered well from her injuries and returned to work. The new album is about to be released in Europe and the guys are on the final leg of a promotional tour. They have three more interviews to do before they return to Paris for a few days off.

"Huh! What? Oh yeah I'm fine." Sébastien replied as he flumped down on the sofa in their hotel room.

"You look worried amigo. Is there something wrong?" Carlos asked as he sat down beside him.

"Tamara." Sébastien nodded.

"She's ok, isn't she?" Urs questioned with a tone of concern.

"She's fine." Sébastien nodded.

"Still no news on you know who?" David queried.

Sébastien shook his head. "No, He hasn't been seen in weeks. It's like he completely vanished of the face of the earth."

"And the bodyguard you hired before you left, he is working out ok?" Carlos queried with a quizically raised eyebrow.

"Demont, you mean?" Sébastien nodded. "Yeah, Tam says he working out just fine. Though she wasn't that keen on him to begin with." Sébastien grimmaced.

"Why?" Urs queried.

"You all know how independant she is. She went crazy when I told her what I'd done." He huffed a laugh. "Perhaps I should have asked her first."

"So what's wrong then, if it's not your concern about Gil?" David questioned again.

"She just didn't sound too good on the phone last night. Not her usual cheerful self"

"Why? What was wrong?" Urs asked.

"Don't know. She said she was just feeling a little run down." Sébastien replied with a shrug.

"Well it's only been what, eleven weeks since the accident, and she is very busy at the studios." David tried.

"I'll give her ring soon to see if she's feeling any better. It's still quite early yet. In the meantime, how are things working out with you three?"

"Great." from Urs.

"And the dance lessons?" Sébastien questioned.

"I'm getting there, Arry is a very patient teacher."

"She would need to be with you." David teased.

Sébastien laughed as he watched David limp away from Urs.

"Did you have to kick me quite so hard?" David hissed.

"See, I'm already quicker on my feet." Urs shrugged with a smile.

"What about you and Sue, Carlos?"

"Things are fantastico! Sue is teaching me sign language, though it's not as easy as she makes it look. I make the silliest mistakes on purpose, but I don't think she's picked up on why at the minute." Carlos replied as his eyebrows flew skyward.

"Has she got over what happened to Tamara ok?"

"Si, she's fine now." Carlos nodded.

"David, how are you and Karen doing?" Sébastien asked.

"Uh oh! Sore point!" Urs informed him.

"Oh! Why?"

"Because I think she's seeing someone else." David snapped as he rolled up his trouser leg and inspected the shin where Urs had kicked him.

"What? Why do you think that?" Sébastien exclaimed.

"'Cos she gets these phone calls, but she won't talk to whoever it is on the other end while I'm around. She tells them to call back later or she disappears into another room and speaks very quietly. She says she's working on a secret project for someone, but won't tell me who or what it is."

"What's so f*cking funny?" David yelled as he saw Sébastien laughing with his hands clamped over his mouth.

________


"Tam, are you all right? You look so very pale." Sue asked as they made their way to Tamaras' kitchen.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just something I've eaten." She replied as she swallowed bile for the fourth time that morning.

"Coffee?" Arry asked as she held up the jug..

"No, I'll stick to this." Tamara informed as she shook her head and held up a bottle of water. "Karen, is everything okay? You're not your usual cheerful self today. What's up?" She asked as she saw the sad look on her friend's face.

"David didn't call last night or the night before. I don't think he's interested in me anymore." Karen sighed heavily.

"Have you tried calling him?"

Karen nodded as she replied. "Yes. His phone just rings, then switches to voicemail. And when I try to get him at the hotel he's never there or has asked not to be disturbed I'm beginning to wonder if he's seeing someone else."

"I'm sorry Kaz, I just can't see him doing that." Tamara informed as she shook her head and swallowed bile again.

"I'll have to see if he'll talk to me when they all get back." Karen shrugged.

"How long is that now?" Sue asked.

"Why? Are you missing a certain Spanish someone?" Tamara teased.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." Sue replied as she rolled her eyes into her head and shrugged playfully.

"Sue!!" Tamara exclaimed.

"Oh of course I am. Geeze. You know he's so funny and he makes the silliest mistakes when he's practising sign language with me I have to hold his hands and sh.....................What?" Sue asked as Tamara laughed loudly.

Tamara cocked her head to one side and raised her eyebrows.

"He doesn't? He wouldn't? Just so that I touch him?" Sue shook her head.

Tamara nodded.

"Oooh Just you wait till I get my hands on that sneaky Spaniard" Sue scowled playfully.

"A little too much information Sue." Tamara teased again as she scratched behind her left ear and raised her eyes to the heavens.

"Tam!!" Sue yelled, immediately realising what Tamara was implying.

"So how long is it till they're back from England Arry?" Tamara asked.

She watched as her friend looked at her watch and quickly calculated.

"One day, four hours and thirty-five minutes precisely." Arry replied.

"So, has Urs still got two left feet?" Tamara questioned her friend once more.

"No. He didn't have to begin with, he was just self-conscious that's all."

"Awww!" Sue oozed.

"He's quite a good dancer actually, very light on his feet. He just thinks everyone is watching when he does dance." Arry replied.

"They are! It's just not his feet they're looking at." Tamara giggled.

"Pardon?!" Arry's eyes flew wide at the comment.

"Remember where all the girls were looking when we went to Isobel's for my birthday?" Tamara asked Sue and Karen as she patted her own backside.

"They didn't?!" Arry exclaimed.

Tamara nodded slowly with a broad smile on her face and a wicked little glint in her eye.

"Oh my God." Arry laughed into her hand.

__________


"David!! Let him go!!" Urs and Carlos yelled together as they tried to pull the big American off a still laughing Sébastien.

"Not until he tells me what he finds so f*cking funny about my girl cheating on me." David hissed as he shook them off.

"I'm sorry my friend. It's me Karen is talking to when she gets those calls." Sébastien began.

"You sonofabitch!! I oughta......" David yelled a he pulled his fist back ready to strike.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! It's not like that." Sébastien yelled as he held his hands up in surrender. "She's working on something for me. I asked her to keep it secret from everyone, even you three. She's been working on it since before Tamara and I visited her parents."

Sébastien watched David's face as he pondered the information he'd been given.

"Okay. I believe you." David nodded as he finally released Sébastien. "So are you going to tell me what is it she's working on?" he asked.

Carlos and Urs watched as Sébastien whispered into David's ear.

"You're not........" David yelled then stopped as Sébastien clamped his hands over his mouth.

Sébastien nodded and smiled broadly as Urs and Carlos looked at each other with confused looks on their faces..

________


"No they haven't found him yet." Tamara shook her head and knocked a tear from her cheek as she replied. "They think he's left the country.

"I'm sorry Tam, I didn't mean to...." Arry began. "Are you absolutely sure you're ok?" She finished as she watched her friend swallow bile again.

"I'm fine." Tamara insisted. She blew out a long breath before speaking. "I still can't believe he went as far as he did. Shooting out a tyre on my car and getting someone to mess with the brakes, thinking that he would kill Sébastien and I would take him back. What planet does this guy live on? The message is clearly not getting through is it?"

"No, but at least that friend of his that loaned him the car came forward and told the police what had happened." Karen replied as her mobile began to ring. She smiled as she answered.

"Hello gorgeous. What's up?" Karen indicated that she wanted to take the call in private and Tamara nodded towards her bedroom.

She smiled as Karen mouthed 'Thanks' to her. Tamara, Sue and Ariadne looked at each other as they heard a loud "You thought what?" and a lot of laughing coming from the bedroom. They all smiled when Karen came out of the bedroom with a broad smile on her face and a tear in her eye.

"Everything ok?" Tamara asked as Karen re-filled her coffee cup.

Karen nodded and sighed happily.

"Tam, how long have you been feeling ill?" Karen asked as she saw Tamara's cheeks puff out again.

"Three or four days now. Why?"

"Have you managed to eat anything?" Karen questioned her again.

"Yes, but it just comes straight back up." Tamara moaned.

"When was your last period?"

"Kaz!!" Tamara giggled in embarrassment.

"Don't be such a prude Tam? Tell me when." Karen asked again.

"Oh my God!!" Tamara yelled as she clamped her hand over her mouth and shook her . "I can't be. It's impossible."

"When?"

"I started the last one a couple of days before I left hospital. Oh dear lord!!" Tamara informed her.

"Stay there. I'll go to the pharmacy and we can make sure." Karen replied as she left Tamara's apartment with a broad smile on her face. She giggled as Tamara stood in the hallway with a stunned expression on her own.

_______


"Everything ok now?" Sébastien asked as David closed his mobile.

"Yes." David beamed as he replied. "Seb."

"What? What's wrong?" Sébastien asked as he saw the concerned look spread across David's face.

"It's just something Kaz said on the phone. She said that Tam looks tired and very pale. She said she's seen her almost throw up at least five times today, but Tam is insisting she's fine. Don't you think you should....." David stopped as he saw Sébastien reach for his mobile.

________


Tamara stood in the bathroom with her eyes closed as she waited for the test to show its result.

"How much longer?" asked Arry in a whisper.

"Time's almost up." Sue replied as she checked her watch.

"I'm too scared to look." Tamara informed with her hands over her eyes.

"Tam, I think you'd better give Seb a call." Karen informed as she pulled Tamara's hands down and showed her the positive result.

"Oh....My....God!!" Tamara yelled as she moved from the bathroom, down to her lounge.

She dropped down on the sofa with the handset in her hand and pushed the button that would give her a dialling tone. She tapped in the first three numbers and stopped.

"How the hell has this happened?" She clamped her hand over her mouth. "I was so careful." She shook her head in disbelief and blinked rapidly trying to stop her tears from falling.

"What's he going to think? I told him it was too early in our relationship to even think about having children after all. Is he going to think I lied? Is he going to think I stopped taking the pill? Is he going to think I'm trying to trap him? He has a right to know at the very least. It can only go one of two ways after all." She sighed heavily and continued to punch the hotel number into the phone. "Here goes." She drew in a deep breath, asked for their room, blew the breath back out and waited for one of them to answer.

__________


"It's engaged." Sébastien informed as he closed his mobile and slumped down on the sofa.

"Keep trying." David insisted.

Sébastien tried three more times only to get the engaged tone every time. He tried one more time as the hotel room telephone rang.

"Hello. Oh Hi." Urs answered.

"That's funny he's been trying to get hold of you too. I'll put him on. Seb it's Tam." Urs informed as he handed over the handset.

"Chéri, I've been trying to get you on the phone." Sébastien sighed..

"Erm...I've been trying to get hold of you too." Tamara replied.

"I've been worried about you."

"Why?"

"David said Karen was worried about you because you don't look well today. Tamara are you really ok? You don't sound like you are."

"I'm...I'm fine." Tamara insisted.

"You're sure?"

"Yes. Erm....Seb, I have something to tell you."

"What?" He asked as he swallowed hard and bit his lip as he heard the worried tone in her voice again.

"Are you sitting down?"

"Non."

"I think you'd better."

"Why?"

"Do you remember that conversation we had on the patio at Mum and Pop's place the first night we were there?" Tamara asked with a small laugh.

Sébastien furrowed his brow as he sat down and tried to recall the conversation they'd had. Then it hit him.

"Tam! You're not? You can't be. You're on the......." Sébastien whispered as his eyes flew wide. "And you said it was too...."

"I know. But I am. I'm pregnant." Tamara interupted him and he swear he heard a stifled sob.

"Oh Mon Dieu! Tam!" He whispered again as he heard Tamara sniff again.

"How do you feel?" She asked.

"Are you kidding me? I couldn't be happier Tam." Sébastien nodded entusiastically and smiled broadly.

"Really! You don't think I'm trying to trap you in some way." Tamara's voice brightened a little.

"Yes I'm really happy. No I don't think you're trying to trap me." He grunted a laugh. "How far along are you?" Sébastien whispered so that the others couldn't hear.

"Kaz has worked it out to about nine weeks."

"Ok." Sébastien nodded still smiling broadly. "I have to go now. We have a show to do. See you in a couple of days. I love you."

"I love you too babe. See you soon."

"Seb!! What's happening?" Urs asked as he watched Sébastien make three attempts to hang the phone up.

"Tam is....is....is"

"Come on. Spit it out." David said as he slapped Sébastien on the back.

"Pregnant." He finally said with a stunned expression and small giggle.

"Is that really what you think I'm going to say when I use that tone of voice? You really think I'm going to tell you it's over between us?" Tamara asked as she knelt in front of Sébastien while he sat in the middle of one of her sofas with tears glistening in his eyes again and his elbows on his knees.

"Oui. I'm sorry, but..." Sébastien nodded his reply and swallowed hard.

"Why? Why would you think like that?" Tamara continued as she shook her head and smiled at him with tears welling in her own eyes.

"Because it's the same tone I've heard every time a girl has dumped me and I thought you were lonely......"

Tamara shook her head as she spoke. "Babe I'm so sorry. Don't you ever think like that again. I'm not going to do that. Ok? How could I be lonely when you call me every free moment you get."

Sébastien knocked the tears from his cheek as he nodded.

"And I'll try not to use that tone in future. Ok?"

Sébastien nodded and sighed deeply.

Tamara stood up and pushed him gently backwards. She straddled his legs and sat on his lap face-to-face with him as she spoke once more.

"Because......" She began as she opened the second button on his shirt and brushed his lips with her own.

"those girls who dumped you......" the third button was opened and a slightly firmer kiss touched his lips.

"obviously didn't know when they were......" the fourth button opened and a very firm kiss was planted.

"onto a good thing or......" the fifth button popped and he felt an even firmer kiss on his lips.

"they were."

Sébastien closed his eyes slowly and moaned at the back of his throat as Tamara slipped her hands between the fabric of his shirt and gently carressed the skin of his chest.

"totally stupid." She stopped speaking.

He moaned again as Tamara turned her wrists, slowly ran her hands down to the waistband of his trousers and gently pushed her tongue into his mouth as she kissed him hungrily.

Sébastien opened his eyes to see Tamara gently biting the left side of her bottom lip as she released the kiss and continued to touch him lightly, making goosebumps rise all over his body as she did so.

Sébastien narrowed his eyes and shook his head at her as he slid a hand under her t-shirt and ran his fingers down the path of her spine.

"What were you going to say then?" He asked as he heard her gasp and felt her arch her back, pushing her stomach gently against his own. He took hold of the bottom of the t-shirt and quickly pulled it off as he waited for her reply.

"Mmmm. I was going to say that......" Tamara began as he softly kissed her left shoulder and pulled the bra strap down onto her arm.

"I'm going to have to......" She shuddered as he moved his kisses slowly across her throat to her right shoulder and dropped the bra strap on that side.

"to find somewhe....somewhere else to live." She groaned softly as she felt him slowly move his hands around to her back to unhook her bra and pull it from her.

"Don't you mean 'we'?" Sébastien asked as he dropped the bra to the floor.

Tamara pulled away, stopped him for a moment and looked at him quizically.

"You're sure?" She asked as he pulled her back to him and continued dropping hot little kisses on her throat and chest.

"Oui." He whispered into her right ear.

Tamara shuddered as she felt his hot breath in her ear.

"Mmmm. Okay. We." She sighed as he kissed her mouth once more. She shuddered again as she felt his tongue glide teasingly over her teeth to kiss her hungrily, slowly feeling every detail of her. She moaned softly as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"God, I really missed you." Sébastien moaned as he released the kiss. He moved his right arm around to her back and slid his hand between her underwear and her soft, delicate skin. Tamara sighed softly as he gave her butt cheek a gentle squeeze. He kissed her hungrily again as he slowly moved his left hand upwards over her abdomen to gently cup her breast.

"And I really missed you too." Tamara growled. "Let the answering machine pick it up." She groaned as they heard the telephone in her apartment ring.

"Tamara! If you're there, please pick up the phone. I need to talk to you. It's urgent. Very urgent."

________


"Pop! What's the matter?" Tamara asked. She heard him sniff twice as she pulled her t-shirt back over her head.

"How long will it take you to get here?" Her father replied.

"Why? What do you want me to come home for?" Tamara asked as she furrowed her brow.

"Just tell me how long sweetheart."

"Two, Two and half hours. It will depend on the traffic. Why?"

"Are you alone?"

"No. Seb is here."

"Good. Are you sitting down?"

"I am now. Pop, please tell me what's wrong. You're scaring me." She said as Sébastien came to her side and wrapped his arms comfortingly around her waist."

"It's Hercules."

"What about him?"

"We found him this morning. He wasn't moving and we got him to Jacques as quickly as we could. I'm sorry to do this over the phone sweetheart, but Jacques thinks he been poisoned. You're mother is with Hercules at the moment and Jacques is doing everything he can for him, but he doesn't know......"

"I'm on my way!" Tamara yelled as she hung up the phone.

"Hey! No way you're driving." Sébastien yelled as he snatched the car keys from her hand. "Not in the emotional state you're in. Remember your condition."

"Seb! Please! I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"I know. I'll drive." Sébastien informed her as he pulled her close and held her tight for a moment or two.

"Ok." Tamara nodded as tears streamed down her face.

They quickly left her apartment and she buried her face into Sébastien's neck as they stepped into the lift. She tried to stop the tears from falling as Sébastien drove away from the building in the replaced Mazda with her in the passenger seat.

________


"What kind of poison Jacques?" Tamara asked as she sat on the floor and cradled Hercules's huge head in her lap.

"Something with Warfrin in. A Warfrin based rat poison I think." The vet replied.

"Oh my god! Who could do such a thing?" she asked as she rocked the animal like a baby. "Are the bitches and Mona's pups ok Mum?"

"Yes, they're all fine. They didn't get anywhere near the meat. They didn't get chance. You know what he's like with food." Her mother replied as she nodded at Hercules.

Tamara huffed a small laugh through her tears.

"Is he in pain?" She asked as she turned back to Jacques.

Jacques closed his eyes and nodded slowly.

"He's......He's not going to make it, is he?" Tamara asked as she snorted back her tears.

"I'm so sorry Tam. There's nothing more I can do for him." Jacques replied as he shook his head slowly.

Tamara's bottom lip quivered violently as she lifted Hercules's head and looked into his eyes.

"My poor baby." She whispered as she gently stroked his face. She smiled and swallowed hard as he licked her face. "Ok. Do it." She whispered again as she looked up at Jacques.

Jacques nodded and moved quickly to prepare what was needed. He sniffed as he knelt by the dog and gently put him out of his pain.

"Leave her alone with him for a while." Francine Fox asked him as she pulled Sébastien gently from the room.

"But she needs......" Sébastien began.

Her mother shook her head. "Not right now she doesn't."

Sébastien watched her still rocking Hercules and sobbing as he left with her mother. Jacques lead them to his office and allowed them to wait there until Tamara was ready to leave.

"Have the police found Gil yet?" Francine asked as she started to look at the photographs that hung on Jacques's wall.

"Non, not yet." Sébastien swallowed hard. "They think he might have left the country. They have found a lot of the missing evidence at the police chief's house. It's just going to take a while to sort it out."

"Anything regarding Gil and Tamara?" Francine asked with a questioning expression on her face.

Sébastien pursed his lips together and shook his head.

Francine turned to the largest picture on the wall and huffed a laugh.

"Have you ever seen a picture of Anton?"

"Non. At least I don't remember seeing any." Sébastien replied.

Tamara's mother beckoned him forward and pointed to the picture.

"That's him. He's very young there though"

Sébastien looked at the picture. It showed two children. One a boy, the other a girl and standing between them a Dogue de Bordeaux puppy. He took a step closer and realised the children were approximately the same age, about six.

"Who is the girl with him?" he asked.

"Tamara." Francine replied.

"That's not possible. She said Anton was her big brother."

"He was, by twenty-five minutes."

"Huh!"

"Tamara is Anton's twin sister."

"What?!" Sébastien exclaimed loudly.

"Ah! She's not said anything about that, has she?" Francine asked through gritted teeth.

Sébastien shook his head.

"I haven't said anything about what?" Tamara asked as she gave a weak smile and entered the office.

"You ok?" Sébastien asked.

Tamara nodded and smiled slightly as he kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm so sorry about Hercules." Sébastien continued as he pulled her close and held her tight for a moment.

"Thanks." Tamara smiled again as he took her hand and lead her over to where her mother stood. "Oh my God! Has he still got that old picture of me, Anton and Nelson hanging there."

"More to the point darling. Why haven't you told Sébastien that you're a twin?" Her mother asked.

Tamara looked at him quizically.

"I did." Tamara replied as she furrowed her brow and looked at Sébastien.

"No, you didn't." He shook his head.

"I'm sure I di......."

"Nooo!" Sébastien replied with a broad smile as he glanced at her stomach.

Tamara clamped her hand over her mouth as her eyes flew wide.

"You don't think.......?" Tamara mouthed at him

Sébastien shrugged and smiled again.

"Oh my God!" Tamara whispered.

"What's going on you two?" her mother asked.

______


"Pop! What did you do that for?" Tamara yelled as she helped Sébastien to his feet.

"What did I say to you the last time you were here? I warned you." Richard Fox screamed as he swung his fist towards Sébastien's face again.

"Richard, stop it!" Francine pleaded as she attempted to pull her husband back.

"What do you mean you 'warned' him? What the hell is going on?" Tamara demanded.

"Just get him out of here!" Richard fumed as he stood with his eyes narrowed, glaring hard at Sébastien.

"If he goes, I'm going with him." Tamara informed her father as she watched Sébastien rub at the left side of his face.

"You know where the door is." Her father hissed through tightly pursed lips.

"Fine! You can have these too." Tamara screamed at him as she threw the keys to the Mazda at his feet.

Tamara shook her head and scowled at her father as she left the lounge with Sébastien. They walked through the front door together and started to walk down the half mile long drive. They stopped a few yards down and sat on a stone bench to talk.

"Let me see." Tamara demanded as she took hold of Sébastien's face and looked at where her father had hit him. "I'm sorry." she said as she tutted at the red mark blooming on his face.

"It's nothing." Sébastien insisted as he moved his head away from her hands.

"Seb, What did my father mean when he said he 'warned' you?" Tamara asked as she wrinkled her brow.

"It...It doesn't matter." Sébastien replied as he turned away from her.

"It does to me. Now tell me."

"I'm sorry Tam I should've been more careful. Your father warned me what he would do if I got you pregnant before you were married."

Tamara looked at him with a stunned expression on her face as she spoke.

"Excuse me?!" She exclaimed.

Sébastien nodded and swallowed hard.

"When he took me for that walk through the vineyard." Sébastien nodded. "From the way he said it, I thought he meant it as a joke. I didn't think for one minute he was serious when he said he would err.... 'punch my lights out' was the expression I think he used......if I did get you pregnant."

"Oh, did he now!!" She grunted.

"I'm sor......"

"No!" Tamara kissed him quickly and stopped him from speaking. "Don't you bloody dare apologise. It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault. The doctor should have reminded me that the anti-biotics he gave me for that minor chest infection would affect the pill and we would need to use something else." She sighed. "But that doesn't give my father the right to do what he did to you Seb." Tamara shook her head. "If he can't handle the fact that I'm pregnant but not married, then that's his problem not yours. I've had enough of him and his bloody double-standards."

"Double-standards?" Sébastien questioned.

"Anton." Tamara nodded. "He got Shari pregnant and they weren't married. I remember what my father was like when Anton told him. Offering him his congratulations, shaking his hand, telling him well done, that it made him a man. Mum was the one that got upset that time because Anton was only seventeen. They weren't even married by the time Destiny was born or when Shari got pregnant again."

Tamara paused and thought for a minute.

"You know, I really have had enough of this. Come on!" she shouted as she grabbed Sébastien's hand and pulled him up.

"Where are we going?" Sébastien asked.

"Back to the house. Richard Fox is about to find out who his daughter really is and what she's made of."

"Tam....I don't think........" Sébastien started then stopped as he saw the fury in Tamara's eyes.

________


"Did you forget something?" Richard Fox hissed as Tamara stood by his side at the kennel door.

"Oh I forgot something all right. I forgot to ask you who the hell do you think you are?" Tamara hissed in reply.

"I'm your father, that's who I am."

"Then start acting like it." Tamara grunted.

"I do!"

"No, you don't. You act like some sort of dictator. You think you can still tell me what to do and I'm sick of it." She yelled.

"Tamara!" Richard Fox exclaimed.

"You shut up! You're going to listen to me for once." Tamara began as she poked her index finger hard into his chest. "Why the hell do you do it Pop? Why do you still treat me like a child? I'm twenty-seven and quite old enough to make my own decisions, without your constant interference. And as for hitting Seb because I'm pregnant, that I find inexcusable. How dare you?!! How dare you do that to him? How could you even threaten him like you did? I just hope he will forgive you at some point, because I certainly wouldn't."

Richard sighed deeply before replying.

"You're right. I have tried to control your life and I know it's wrong, but I only do it because I love you."

"Pop, I know you love me but you have to let me grow up, you have to let me make my own decisions. I'm not a baby anymore. It's my life, not yours and I'll live it the way I want. If I want children but don't want to get married then that's my decision to make."

"I know. I just can't help it Tammy...." He paused as he saw the look on her face, forgetting that she hated that contraction of her name. "Sorry, Tam. I really just can't help it. You've always been my little girl. I just want to protect you. You've been through enough crap in your life. I just wanted to see you settled and happy with a good man before you started a family."

"And how am I supposed to find a good man if you're going to threaten them? Seb is nothing like Gil. He's so kind and........."

"I know, I know." Her father said as he shook his head. "You're right, I should never have said those things to him or threatened him the way I did. And I most certainly shouldn't have hit him like that. It was very wrong of me. I'm sorry Tam."

"It's not me you should be apologising to Pop."

"No." Her father sighed. "I'll give Seb a call and apologise if you leave me his number."

"No you won't. You'll do it face-to-face." Tamara insisted.

"How can I when he's left?"

"He hasn't left. He's in the house with Mum." Tamara informed him. "She's absolutely furious with you by the way. It's a good job you don't speak French fluently. You should hear what she's calling you." She continued as she gave her father a little nudge and rolled her eyes into her head.

"I know she is and I can imagine what she's calling me. She threw an antique vase at me and told me to get out just after you left. Why do you think I'm down here?"

"Not the vase on the coffee table."

Richard Fox nodded and gave her wry smile as Tamara shook her head.

"Light the touchpaper and retire......" She said as she imitated a firework exploding with her hands.

"Not funny Tam." he said with a smile. "Oh hello, looks like someone has taken a shine to you."

Tamara looked down to the kennel bars to see one of Mona's puppies licking her hand.

"My God! He looks just like Hercules when he was a puppy."

Richard Fox nodded.

"I've set him aside for you." He said as he took the puppy from the kennel and placed him in her arms.

"I......I couldn't. It's too......" Tamara shook her head.

"He'll help. Remember. He's not quite ready yet though."

Tamara nodded as she held the dog close and remembered how Hercules had helped her and Anton get over the death of Nelson, the first dog they had owned.

"What do you want to call him?" he father asked.

Tamara held him away from her while she inspected him. An intelligent, gentle face. A strong, strudy and well-muscled body, just like his father.

"Atlas." She giggled as he licked her face.

"Well he seems to like it." her father informed as he held her around the shoulders.

________


"Well?" Tamara whispered as she stood by Sébastien's side waiting for her father to apologise.

Richard Fox coughed loudly before speaking.

"Sébastien I would like to apologise for my behaviour. It wasn't right for me to threaten you or hit you like I did. I'm sorry." He said as he held his hand out.

"Apology accepted." Sébastien replied with a smile. "You pack a mean punch." he said as he shook Richard Fox's hand.

Tamara rolled her eyes into her head and shook her head slightly as both men laughed.

________


He buried his face into his hands as he sat on the side of his bed. He looked at the photograph that stood on his nightstand and wondered how much more his cousin was going to ask him to do. He'd already wrecked Tamara's apartment and clothing. He had driven the car that Gil had shot at hers from and now he'd probably killed her dog. He wondered who his cousin had got to watch him as he recalled the conversation they'd had when he had tried to refuse to do what he asked.

"You'd better do it."

"And what if I don't. You're not in the country anymore Gil. You can't do anything from Texas."

"Can I not?" Gil laughed.

He furrowed his brow and moved to the bathroom with the handset in his hand as Gil spoke to someone on another phone. He scratched the side of his face as he looked in the mirror.

"Not so hard you'll make yourself sore." Gil's voice laughed in his ear.

He snatched his head up and looked around the room.

"What?"

"Don't scratch your face so hard, you'll make yourself sore."

"Are you having me watched Gil?" He asked.

"Clever boy. Now are you going to do what I asked or am going to have to......." Gil laughed again.

"No, no. I'll do it. It'll be pretty easy." He sighed heavily and nodded at the phone.

"That's better. Now I want a phone call every night about what they've been up to. Oh! And Clarice's house is being watched too. Such pretty children you have."

He swallowed bile as Gil hung up and threw his handset across the room. The tone of Gil's voice as he spoke the final two sentences implied he was threatening him again.

He flopped back onto his bed. He knew there was no-one in either of the apartments below him at the moment. He'd seen them both leaving. He dropped some more sleeping tablets into his mouth, swallowed hard, crawled back under the covers and waited for darkness to descend again.

___________


"He's a pussycat really. You just have to know how to handle him." Tamara said as Sébastien pushed her gently by her hips into her apartment.

"He scared the shit out of me when he hit me like that. I thought he was going to do what he'd threatened." Sébastien sighed as he pushed her gently against the wall. "Now where were we before we were interupted?" He asked as he bit his lip gently while he slipped both hands between the skin of her back and the fabric of her t-shirt. He smiled as he heard her groan while he slowly and gently carressed her.

"Mmmm. That was nothing. You think he's bad, you should see Mum when she blows her stack. That's not a pretty sight." Tamara said as she pulled his shirt out from the waistband of his trousers and slipped her hands under the fabric. She giggled as she saw the goosebumps rising on his naked arms.

"You mean she wasn't blowing her stack when you left me with her at the house?" Sébastien asked as he nibbled gently on her earlobe.

"Nowhere near." Tamara shuddered as she shook her head and moved away from him.

Sébastien sucked air through his teeth as he saw beckoning him to follow as she moved towards the bedroom. She placed her hand on the door handle behind her back and encouraged him closer. Sébastien rolled his eyes into his head and kissed her slowly and gently as he snaked his arms around her, pulled her close with his right arm and curled his fingers in her hair with his left. They froze with their lips still together as the lounge room door opened and they heard his voice.

"Where the hell have you two been?"

________


"Ok, ok. You're right. We should have left a message with one of you at least, but I had to get home as quickly as I could and we left in such a hurry that we just didn't think to pick up our mobiles." Tamara said as she took a bottle of water from the fridge and guzzled it down quickly.

"Thirsty?" asked Arry.

"Long drive." Tamara nodded

"What did you have to go home for anyway?" Sue asked. "Oh Tam! I'm sorry. What's wrong?" she continued as she saw the tears welling in her friend's eyes.

"It's ok. I had to go home because Hercules was poisioned somehow and I had to have him put to sleep."

"Aww Tam!" Her three friends exclaimed as they all hugged her tight.

"Do you know who did it?" Karen asked.

Tamara shook her head. She sighed heavily as she wiped her eyes. "Now would one of you mind telling me how the hell Carlos got into my apartment."

"Oh that's easy." Sue smiled. "I gave him your spare key."

"But I gave that to Seb."

"Yes and he gave it to me before they left for England just in case anything happened to you. I hadn't had the chance to give it him back."

"Oh." Tamara nodded then turned her head to look at Karen who stood near the fridge with a smirk on her face. "Okay, Spill. What's up with you?" Tamara asked.

"Nothing, Why?" Karen replied.

"What's with the stupid smile you can't get off you lips then?"

"Nothing, I'm just very happy today that's all." Karen lied.

"Hmm. I don't believe you for one minute." Tamara informed as she gave her a dig in the ribs.

Karen shrugged her head and titled her head to one side slightly.

"I just wish I could have seen you faces when Carlos opened that door." Sue laughed.

"So do I. Poor Seb nearly choked when he saw him." Tamara giggled as she reached for another bottle of water. "I just wish I'd had my camera in my hands when we saw Carlos' face. Now that was funny."

"Well that explains that. Is she ok?" Urs asked as Sébastien finished explaining what had happened.

"She's fine."

"I still can't get over the look you had on your face when I opened that door. It was sooo funny." Carlos informed as he imitated the startled look Sébastien had given him. "A few seconds later and who knows what I might have seen." He finished as his eyebrows flew skyward.

Sébastien shook his head and glared at him.

"What happened here?" David asked as he inspected Sébastien's left cheek.

"Oh! Richard punched me!"

"Not Tamara's father?" Urs questioned.

Sébastien nodded.

"What the hell for?" Carlos fumed.

"Because Tam's pregnant and not married."

The three remaining Divos grunted a laugh.

"Is he really that old-fashioned?" Urs asked.

"No, just very protective of her. Overly protective if you ask Tam."

"Changing the subject slightly......" David began. "has Kaz spoken to you yet?"

Sébastien nodded and smiled broadly.

"She's going to hand it over when she can figure out a way to get Tam out of the kitchen. She says she doesn't want anyone to see it before Tam does."

"Have you booked the table?" David asked.

Sébastien nodded again.

"For 8:30 tomorrow night at Amores."

"Hold on. Hand over what?" Carlos asked.

"Kaz doesn't want Tam seeing what?" Urs queried.

"Nooo!" Urs and Carlos exclaimed together as Sébastien informed them of what he'd been planning for the past few weeks. Sébastien's eyes widened as he signalled for them to be quiet.

________


"Right you two out." Karen whispered as she pushed Sue and Arry from the kitchen whilst making sure that Tamara was still safely ensconsed in the bathroom.

"Kaz, what the......." they both protested together.

"Shh. Never mind. Just leave for one minute will you and send Seb in here."

"Huh?" Sue exclaimed.

"Just do it and be quick about it." Karen instructed keeping an eye on the bathroom door as she did so.

She smiled as Sébastien made his way into the kitchen and closed the door firmly behind him.

"Well here it is." Karen said as she handed him a small cube-shaped black box. "I'm sorry it took so long but finding the right stone was a nightmare."

"Kaz, it's absolutely stunning. Do you think Tam will like it?" Sébastien asked as he looked in awe at the contents.

"I'm sure she'll love it." Karen replied with a smile as she watched Sébastien push the box into the pocket of his trousers.

"Thanks for what you've done." He said as he took Karen's face in his hands and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Seb! Kaz! What the hell is going on?" They heard as the kitchen door opened quietly.

________


"Well that explains that stupid smirk you've had on your face all evening." Tamara hissed as she glared furiously from Karen to Sébastien.

"Tam it's not what you think." Karen informed her.

"What was it then?" She asked sarcastically.

"You'll find out tomorrow." Sébastien smiled at her.

"No! You tell me now."

"Honest Tam. Please calm down. I'll tell you........" Sébastien continued to smile as he grabbed her gently by top of her arms.

Tamara quickly threw him off and headed for her apartment door.

"If you're not willing to tell me right this minute what's been going on behind my back, you can get out!!! Do you here me?! All of you get out!!!" Tamara yelled as she stood at her open apartment door.

"Tam! Kaz is right. It isn't what.......Please don't do this." Sébastien began.

"Then tell me!" Tamara demanded.

"I will, tomorrow." He smiled again.

"Oh just get out!! I never want to see any of you again."

"Tam!" Sue and Arry exclaimed together.

"Oh don't try and tell me you didn't know. How stupid do you think I am? I know what I saw. My supposed boyfriend kissing one of my so called best friends, his friend's girlfriend for that matter."

"Tam listen......." David began.

"Shut up!! You must be so stupid not see what's going on right under your nose." Tamara glared at him as she spoke.

"Come on you lot. There's no point talking to her when she's in this mood." Sue said as motioned everyone towards the door. "Leave her alone and let her calm down."

Everyone started to leave Tamara's apartment and headed towards the recently repaired lift. Each of them tried to talk to her as they left only to receive a look that seemed to snap a sharp 'Don't!.'

"I'll call you later." Sue informed her as she left. Other than Sébastien she was the only one left in the apartment.

"Don't bother!" Tamara snapped.

Sue sighed, shook her head and allowed her tears to fall as she moved over to Carlos.

"Tam, please listen to me. There's nothing going on........" Sébastien pleaded.

"I SAID GET OUT!!" She screamed at as she pushed him harshly from her apartment and slammed the door firmly behind him. He swallowed hard as he heard the bolts being thrown across.

________


Tamara cried silent tears as she heard Sébastien call her name through the door whilst banging some part of his anatomy lightly against it. She switched off her mobile as she heard it ring and saw who was calling. She disconnected the house phone when she picked up the receiver and heard Sébastien's pleading voice at the other end of the line.

"How could he? How could he have kissed her like that? In my home, when I'm pregnant with his child." She questioned her reflection in the mirror above the fireplace and laid a hand on her stomach. "Looks like its going to be just you and me little one."

She moved over to the piano seat and sat down with her back to the piano. She couldn't even bear to look at it right now. She picked up her favourite guitar and tried to play something, anything. She sobbed and shook her head as she failed miserably. She returned the guitar its stand, curled herself up into a ball on the sofa and rocked herself gently as she cried herself to sleep.

________


"Why didn't you ask her?" Urs asked as they stepped from the lift.

"Ask her what?" Arry questioned.

Her eyes flew wide as Urs informed her of what Sébastien had been planning for the last few weeks. She looked at Sue the same way as Carlos told her Sébastien's plans.

"Really?" Sue questioned in astonishment, turning to face Carlos as she did so. "Wow!" She blinked her eyes rapidly as Carlos, smiled, closed his eyes slowly and nodded lightly.

David stood near the lift doorway with a crying Karen in his arms.

"I'm sorry." Sébastien sniffed as he saw them both.

"It's ok." David smiled slightly and shook his head.

"So why didn't you ask her?" Arry asked.

"Because I wanted to.....to do it the right way. Just me and her, on our own. The way I'd planned" He sniffed and shook his head. "Not going to happen now though is it? And it's all my own stupid fault." He sniffed again as he slipped his key into the lock and opened the door,

Sébastien nodded as each of his brothers asked if he would be ok on his own. He only just managed to speak as he watched his friends walk away from his apartment.

"Jus.....Just leave me alone, please guys. I.....I'll be ok." He said as he slowly closed the door on their concerned faces.

He looked at himself in the mirror and swallowed loudly as he saw the red mark on his forehead that he'd caused by banging his head lightly but repeatedly on Tamara's door. He moved to the lounge and slumped down on his sofa feeling the ring box dig into his thigh as he did so. He pulled it out, looked at the contents and swallowed hard as tears began to stream down his face. He threw himself hard into the back of the sofa, threw the box across the room, clamped both hands over his face and slowly cried himself to sleep.

______


"Tam, What are you doing?" Arry asked as she stepped into her friend's apartment and closed the door behind her.

"Getting ready for work. What the hell does is look like I'm doing?"

"Did you get much sleep last night?"

"Not really, No." Tamara began as she slumped down onto the sofa and continued to speak. "I'm sorry about last night Arry. I know you and Sue didn't know what was going on between Kaz and Seb. I think both of you would tell me if you did."

"Yes we would. So would Kaz."

Tamara huffed.

"Tam! You know our position on cheating. Even though we would never want to hurt you, we would tell you, even if it was only a suspicion."

Tamara nodded and hugged her friend.

"Tam listen. I've spoken to Kaz and she says there's nothing going on between her and Seb."

Tamara shrugged.

"I've spoken to Urs as well and he says he knows for a fact that Seb isn't cheating."

"Has he told you how he knows?"

"No, he's just re-assured me that he does."

"And you believe him?"

"Yes I do."

"I'm sorry Arry, but I can't believe him. I know what I saw. If there's nothing going on why wouldn't Seb tell me what it was all about last night? Why would he want to wait until tonight?" Tamara struggled to stifle her sobs as she questioned her friend.

Arry closed her eyes as she lied to her friend for the first time ever. Urs had sworn all of them to secrecy about Sébastien's plans as they left the apartment building in the hope that he would be able to make Tamara see sense.

"I don't know why he would want you to wait Tam, but I believe Kaz and Urs and I know it wasn't what you think. I have this from Seb....." Arry informed as she handed Tamara a piece of paper. "give him a chance to try and explain Tam, he loves you so."

Tamara read the message then shook her head and allowed her tears to fall again as she screwed the note up and threw it into a nearby bin.

"I can't." She whispered as she closed her eyes slowly.

_________


"Well she's let Arry in." Urs informed Sébastien as he stepped back through his apartment door. "God you look like......"

"I know I look like crap Urs, but I don't care and there's no need to remind me." Sébastien huffed as he walked slowly towards his lounge dragging his feet as he did so.

"Sorry. That looks sore" Urs informed as he inspected Sébastien's forehead.

"I...I'm not bothered." Sébastien replied as he dropped himself hard onto the sofa. "I've lost her Urs, the one girl who loved me as much as I love her and I've lost her. I should never have kissed Kaz like that." He sobbed into his hand.

Urs sat beside him and placed a comforting arm around his shoulders as he spoke. "I'm sure she'll come round once you explain everything."

"I don't think so." Sébastien shook his head. "I don't think she'll even come tonight." He sniffed loudly as he tried to compose himself. "I'd err...I'd better get ready, we're already late aren't we?"

"Yes." Urs nodded slightly. "Did you get much sleep last night?"

"An hour maybe two." Sébastien shrugged.

"That all?"

Sébastien nodded quickly and headed down the hallway.

Urs shook his head and sighed heavily as he watched Sébastien head for the bathroom. He swallowed hard and nodded his head as he heard his friend audibly crying. He wasn't even trying to surpress it now, not like he had the previous night.

Something lying on the floor in the corner of the room caught his eye. He stood and made his way over to the balcony windows, bent over and picked up the small, cube-shaped black box. He held it in his fingers for a few minutes before placing it on the mantelpiece.

He could still hear him crying as he moved to Sébastien's kitchen to make coffee. He gasped slightly when he saw the state of it. What looked like all of his crockery and glassware lay smashed to pieces on the kitchen floor. Sébastien had obviously taken his grief out on the items, Urs could see the marks in the wall where they had impacted into it as he started to clear up. He shook his head as he heard Sébastien come out of his bathroom. He turned to the doorway just as Sébastien reached it on his way to his bedroom.

"What happened?" Urs asked.

Sébastien sniffed and shrugged in reply.

Urs knew he didn't really have to ask the question, it was obvious, even to a casual observer, that Sébastien had had one hell of an outburst in there. He shook his head and carried on cleaning up as he waited for Sébastien to dress. He snapped his head around when he heard his friend at the kitchen doorway.

"Thanks." He sniffed as Urs dumped the last dustpan full of broken glass and crockery into the bin.

"Not a problem." Urs shook his head and gave him a small smile. "You're sure you want to do this interview today? We can make up an excuse for your no-show on the way to the tv studios." Urs suggested.

"Non." Sébastien shook his head and sniffed as he attempted to dry his eyes. "Non, I really don't want to go. But I don't want to be here on my own either."

Urs nodded as Sébastien covered his eyes with his largest and darkest sunglasses as they left the apartment together.

________


"You've been very quiet today Tam and you didn't get much done. Is everything okay?" Martin's voice came over the loudspeaker.

Tamara shook her head as she moved the last sheet of music from the stand and began to pack her guitars away. She tried to hold back the tears as she heard Martin enter the recording studio.

"Tam! What ever's the matter?" Martin asked, holding a sobbing Tamara close to him, rocking her gently.

"You haven't spoken to Sue lately have you?"

"No. Not for about a week. Why?"

"She wouldn't have told you that Seb and I are over then."

"What?! Why?"

"Because he's been cheating. I caught him kissing Karen in my kitchen last night."

"Oh Tam! He didn't. Did you ask him why?"

Tamara nodded. "He said everything would be explained tonight and when I said I wanted to know at that moment he just stood there with that stupid smile on his face insisting he would tell me everything tonight."

"What's happening tonight?" Martin asked.

"He wants me to meet him for dinner at Amores."

"Are you going to go?"

Tamara shrugged.

"I think you should. Even if it's just to settle things about the baby." Martin smiled at her softly.

Tamara shrugged again as she left the studio and made her way to the lift. She dried her eyes and took some deep cleansing breaths as the lift made its way to the ground floor.

She pursed her lips together and glared hard as she left the lift and saw a familiar figure standing near the main entrance with his arms folded across his chest and he eyes fixed firmly on her.

________


"What do you want?" Tamara hissed as she stepped from the lift and saw Urs waiting near the automatic door.

"To talk to you."

"Really? About what?" Tamara snapped.

"Seb."

"Not interested." Tamara hissed again.

"You should know he's very upset about what happened last night."

"Huh! He's upset. That's a good one. I'm the one who caught him cheating and he's the one who's upset." Tamara huffed.

"Tam, he's in pieces."

"You expect me to care?" Tamara huffed and turned her head away from Urs.

"Tam! Don't be so hard on him."

"After what I caught him doing, you expect me to all sweetness and light?" She questioned. "'Cos if that's what you think then you can shove that idea where the sun don't shine."

"He looks like crap and he's hardly eaten or said a word to anyone. I don't know how he's got through today." He informed her.

"He should have thought of the consequences before he cheated then shouldn't he?" Tamara hissed again.

"He's not cheating." Urs insisted.

"You would say that, you're his friend after all. I'm not stupid Urs, I know what I saw. He kissed Kaz full on the lips in my kitchen, with the door shut to boot. You don't kiss someone like that if there's nothing going on. At least I wouldn't." Tamara sniffed as she moved towards the door again.

Urs grasped her gently by her left wrist and pulled her back in front of him.

"Do you love him?" He asked with a very slow blink.

"Please Urs just......just leave me alone." Tamara sniffed and turned her head away from him.

"Do you love him Tam?" Urs repeated.

Tamara closed her eyes, swallowed hard and bit her top lip before replying.

"You know I do, but he's been cheating and I can't....." Tamara sniffed again.

"Look Tam I know you're angry and upset after what you thought you saw last night......"

"I didn't think I saw it Urs, I did see it." Tamara interupted. "Angry doesn't even begin to cover what I'm feeling right now."

"I know." Urs nodded. "But I promise you he isn't cheating. He wouldn't, he couldn't ever do that to you. He loves you too much to ever hurt you like that." Urs insisted again as Tamara slowly pulled her wrist from his gentle grasp.

"Really! Then you tell me why he kissed Karen he did." She replied as she poked him in the chest with her right index finger.

"I can't." Urs sighed and shook his head

"More like you won't."

Tamara glared at Urs as he moved himself to block the path to her car.

"Get out of my way Urs!!" She yelled at him. "Get out of my way and leave me alone."

"No. Not until you tell me that you'll meet him tonight and give him a chance to explain."

"Get out of my way or so help me I'll wrap this guitar around your head!!" Tamara yelled again, raising the guitar case she was carrying and struggling to hold back her tears as she spoke.

"I'll move when you agree to meet him and let him explain." Urs replied calmly.

"No. I told you I don't want to see him ever again. Now get out of my way."

"God you're a stubborn......" Urs began then stopped.

"Go on, finish what you were going to say." Tamara snapped.

"No. I'm sorry Tam. I shouldn't have even thought that." Urs shook his head as he replied. "Please, just give him a chance to explain everything. He really loves you."

Urs stood firm and blocked every move Tamara tried to make to get passed him. Tamara huffed loudly and glared at him.

"All right, all right. But after tonight I don't want to ever hear from him or any of you again. Understand?" She finally relented as she held her hands up in surrender.

Tamara looked at him quizically as he gave her a wry smile, nodded and allowed her to pass.

________


"Pardon? Would you mind saying that again? I didn't hear what you said." Tamara sniffed and slowly lifted her head off the taxi's window.

"I asked if you were all right Madamoiselle. You look a little distressed." The driver replied, passing a tissue back to her with the index and middle finger of his right hand.

"Thank you. I'm fine." She nodded and took the tissue graciously, blew her nose, gave the driver a small smile as he looked in his rearview mirror at her with a gentle smile of his own and returned her head to the window.

She sighed heavily as she looked at the way she was dressed. She was late already, she knew that, by about fifteen minutes. She'd spent the hours since she arrived home trying to decide what to wear. She had pulled most of her clothes out of the wardrobe before deciding on the dress she wore now. She remembered what she had said to her reflection just before the taxi arrived.

"Well, if this is the end Tam, you might as well show him what he's throwing away."

She had huffed a small laugh to herself as she left her apartment then hailed a taxi and sat with her head pressed lightly against the window as she cried and the rain began to fall.

She heard the driver cough as he stopped the car outside the restaurant, paid him and gave him a generous tip. She stood outside for a few seconds before Phillipe opened the door and welcomed her with a gentle smile. He instructed Mario to take her to the back of the restaurant. She knew what was there. She'd seen enough couples coming out of there happily wrapped in each others arms, walking through the restaurant like they were the only two people on earth.

Well that wouldn't be happening with the couple that came out of there tonight.

She stopped Mario as he moved to open the door.

"I need a minute." She sniffed and looked up at the big Italian.

"Of course Tam." He smiled back.

She stood outside the door, closed her eyes, sniffed back her tears and took a few deep cleansing breaths.

"Ready?" Mario questioned in a whisper.

She nodded and almost burst into tears when she saw Sébastien standing near the small table in the very intimate setting of the restaurant's private dining room.

He wore a very expensive looking suit, Armani she'd thought, with a white shirt and and black tie. Highly polished black shoes were on his feet and he was wearing his usual silver rings. Gold cufflinks secured the cuffs of his shirt.

"He looks drop dead gorgeous." She mused to herself.

She drew in another deep breath, huffed it out and fought to hold back her tears as she started to walk over to him.

_________


Sébastien sat in the private dining room of Amores Restaurant waiting for Tamara to arrive. He had said 8:30 pm on the note and his watch now showed 8:45 pm. He snapped the box shut, shook his head and knocked the tears from his cheek. She obviously wasn't coming. He knew she would be there by now if she was. She hated being late. He snatched his head up as the door opened then sighed heavily as he saw the man who stood there.

"She's arrived. She's just getting out of the taxi. Good luck my boy." Phillipe said with a gentle smile.

"Thanks Phillipe." Sébastien replied as he stood up.

She was there. He tried to smile, returned the box to his pocket and straightened up his suit and tie. He drew in a deep breath and swallowed hard as he checked the vase of Tamara's favourite burgundy red roses. He coughed slightly as the door was opened and Mario allowed Tamara to enter.

Sébastien gasped audibly when he saw her. She looked stunning in the beaded, electric blue, bias cut, chiffon evening dress she'd chosen to wear. Her legs looked even longer than they were in the matching evening sandals she wore. Her hair hanging lose about her shoulders with its slight curl.

He sighed and closed his eyes slowly when he saw her face. She'd obviously been crying a lot since last night. Her eyes were very red, tears still glistened in them as she walked towards him. She looked beautiful, though she wore no make-up.

"Tamara, I'm so glad you came. You look...." Sébastien began as he took hold of her right hand and moved to kiss the back of it.

Tamara quickly withdrew it from his grasp and sat down elegantly in the chair opposite his. She wiped her eyes gently and glanced at the roses.

"I don't know what you think you're playing at, bringing me into this room, but let's get on with it shall we." She shook her head at the menu Mario offered her. "Just a glass of water please Mario."

The waiter nodded as he laid the menu on the table.

"Not hungry?" Sébastien asked.

Tamara shook her head even though she was starving, she'd barely eaten all day.

"You have to eat something." He insisted.

Tamara sighed.

"Oh very well." She huffed. "I'll have that." she said as she pointed something on the menu out to Mario.

She rested her left elbow on the table and cupped her face with her hand, but kept her eyes lowered. Her right arm was placed on the table at an angle to her elbow. She kept her head down as Sébastien began to speak.

"Tam, please look at me." He asked as he laid his left hand gently on her right.

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard as she did as he asked. She sniffed as she opened her eyes and saw the tears welling in his.

"You said in your note that you wanted to explain. So, go ahead, explain. Explain to me why you were kissing one of my best friends and your friend's girlfriend like that behind a closed door. If there's nothing going on between you and Kaz, then why the hell was the door shut? Why the hell wouldn't you tell me last night?" She said angrilly as she withdrew her hand from the table and sat back in her chair.

"Please believe me Tam......" Sébastien began and shook head. "there is nothing, absolutely nothing, going on between me and Karen. I wouldn't and couldn't do that to you. What you saw last night was me giving her a thank you kiss."

"A thank you kiss? Is that what you call it?" Tamara almost laughed. "That was some thank you kiss."

She shook her head at the memory of what she'd seen. Karen's face held gently in his hands. His lips pressed against hers with his eyes closed and Karen staring at her in wide-eyed guilt as she opened the kitchen door.

"You don't give someone a thank you kiss on the lips Seb, especially not like that. A thank you kiss is given on the cheek and it's quite quick."

"I know, I know, but I was just so excited and I forgot myself." Sébastien shook his head and lowered his eyes as he spoke. He couldn't stand seeing the sadness in her eyes.

He'd been overjoyed when Urs told him that he managed to talk her round and had got her to agree to meet him at the restaurant. Urs had warned him about how angry she was and he couldn't blame her, what she saw must have looked bad.

"Forgot yourself." Tamara huffed. "What were you so excited about that you felt you had to thank her like that?"

Tamara watched as Sébastien reached into his pocket, pulled out the small black box and held it in front of her.

"This."

She watched him again as he moved himself to kneel on one knee in front of her.

"What the hell are you doing? Get up off the floor you idiot." She asked.

Sébastien shook his head and smiled as he opened the box. Tamara's eyes flew wide as he offered it to her in his left hand while holding her left hand gently in his right.

Sébastien breathed deep before he spoke. "Tamara Fox, will you marry me?"

Tamara's eyes blinked rapidly. She swallowed hard as she looked from the ring to Sébastien and back again.

"Wha......What?"

"I said, will you marry me Tam?" Sébastien repeated.

"Be serious." Tamara huffed and turned her head away.

"I am. I'm deadly serious. Marry me Tam." Sébastien repeated as he reached up and gently turned her head back round to face him.

Tamara pursed her lips together as she looked at him. She moved to shake her head then stopped as her eyes flew wide again.

"Oh my God! This is what last night was about isn't it?" She asked as she raised her hand to her mouth, suddenly recognising her friend's artistry.

Sébastien nodded and blinked his eyes slowly.

"You erm......You asked her to make that didn't you?" Tamara asked whilst nodding at the ring.

Sébastien nodded again, sniffed and swallowed hard. "I've been planning this for weeks."

"Oh God! I feel so stupid." Tamara sniffed.

"So?" Sébastien asked as he bit his bottom lip gently, waiting anxiously for her reply.

"What? Oh! Yes. Yes I'll marry you." She whispered and nodded through now happy tears.

Tamara kept her right hand held to her mouth and sniffed loudly as Sébastien slipped the ring onto her finger. She swallowed hard as Sébastien stood upright and pulled her close to him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck, buried her face into his shoulder and held him for all she was worth.

"It's ok, it's ok." Sébastien whispered as he shook his head and sighed deeply as he lifted her off her feet, curled his fingers gently in the hair at the back of her head and rocked her slowly as he held her in his arms. "I love you Tamara."

"And I love you too." Tamara replied through her happy sobs.

They didn't hear the round of applause and the cheers coming from the restaurant.

______


Tamara smiled as she remembered what had happened after she had accepted his proposal. His friends and hers had come almost crashing into the room with very broad smiles on their faces. The first person she had hugged was Karen and apologised profusely to her for even thinking she would do that to her.

"There's no need to apologise Tam. I understand how it must have looked." She had smiled broadly.

She had greeted the rest of them with a small hug and a kiss on the cheek. Susan was the first to demand to see the ring, her eyes had widened and she had let out a long low whistle as she saw the size of the stone.

She had noticed the wink Sébastien had given to Mario and wondered what was going on as she heard an orchestra start playing and immediately recognised Patrizio Buanne's 'Il Mondo'. She had smiled and bit her tongue lightly as Sébastien pulled her into his arms and danced her slowly around a small carpeted area, much to the delight of everyone in the room. She had blushed bright red as he kissed her deeply at the end of the song.

Phillipe had disappeared but quickly returned with a tray of glasses and a large bottle of champagne to toast them. She laughed as she recalled the look on his face when she told him she couldn't have any because she was pregnant. He had left immediately and returned with a glass of her favourite pineapple juice.

She and Sébastien had left the restaurant first and held each other tightly during the ride back home. She had called her parents and had to pull the phone quickly away from her ear again as her mother screamed down the phone at the news she delivered. She had sat close by his side and held his hand tightly as he called his mother and delivered the same news. Tears had welled in his eyes as he hung up.

"No more." She had said as she shook her head and gently wiped them away with her thumb.

He had stood up quickly, pulled her close to him and kissed her passionately before sweeping her into his arms, carrying her to the bedroom and making slow and gentle love to her.

She now lay happily exhausted looking at the ring on her finger, her head resting gently on his shoulder, her left hand resting on the right side of his chest and her left leg draped over his left.

He lay with his left cheek resting against her forehead and his left arm around her waist holding her tight, slowly drifting off to sleep.

Tamara lifted her head off his shoulder, dropped a quick kiss on his lips, smiled as his mouth curled into a small smile, returned her head to its previous position and closed her eyes as sleep took over.

___________


She wasn't by his side when he woke and he started to wonder if it had all been just a dream. He rolled over to where she would have slept. His eyes widened and a gentle smile spread across his face as he smelled her favourite perfume. His eyes widened further when he saw the electric blue dress on the bedroom floor.

"I was going to make coffee, but you don't appear to have any cups." Her voice came from the bedroom doorway.

He sat up quickly and looked at her sheepishly through his eyelashes, she was only wearing the shirt he'd been wearing last night.

"Looks like you had a smashing time the other night from what I saw in the bin." She laughed with a wry smile.

He was about to say something when the telephone rang. He rolled back over picked up the handset and manouvered himself to sit in the middle of his bed as he answered.

"Hello." His eyes flew wide as he heard the voice at the other end.

"How did you find out so quickly Simon?" He grimmaced as he spoke

"I have my sources." He heard the Englishman's voice give a little laugh as he spoke. "So, is it true?"

"Yes it's true." Sébastien nodded, smiling even broader as he did so.

"Who is it?" Tamara asked with a flick of head towards.

Sébastien placed his hand across the mouthpiece. "Simon." He replied.

"Cowell?" Tamara questioned, climbing on the bed to sit between his legs with her back to his stomach.

Sébastien nodded. "He's found out about our engagement somehow."

"What? How?" Tamara spluttered.

Sébastien shrugged. He removed his hand from the mouthpiece and spoke. "What do you want Simon?"

He heard a deep breath being drawn in and pressed the loudspeaker button on the handset so that Tamara could hear what he had to say.

"Firstly I would like to offer my congratulations."

Sébastien and Tamara both thanked him.

"Secondly I would like to tell you that I have arranged an interview and photograph.........."

"Stop right there!" Tamara exclaimed.

"I beg you're pardon?"

"You heard me plain enough." Tamara hissed. "If you think you're going to use our engagement to promote Il Divo then you are very much mistaken Mr Cowell."

"My dear think of the publicity."

"Shove it."

Sébastien laughed quietly with his hand over his mouth.

"Much as I love the other guys, this isn't about them, it's about Seb and me."

They started kissing each other as they heard Simon launch into some sort of long-winded speech. Sébastien quickly adjusted his position so that he lay on top and dropped the handset onto the bed as he started to explore Tamara's mouth with his tongue again, his hands slipping beneath the fabric of the shirt, moving slowly over her body. Tiny sparks of electricity seemingly passing between her body and his hands as he began to make love to her again. He heard his name being shouted down the phone again, picked up the handset and spoke.

"Later Simon. Much, much later." He smiled broadly as he hung up.

__________


He flopped back onto his bed as he hung up the phone and recalled the pertenant part of the conversation.

"Why can't you just leave them alone Gil, let them live there lives?" He'd asked after informing him that they had got engaged the night before.

"Because that bitch is mine. If I can't have her no-one will." He'd yelled in response.

"Your pathetic." He'd hissed back.

"Watch your mouth or else." Another threat had been issued with those words.

He'd snapped a quick apology at his cousin and sighed heavily as he did so. "What do you want me to do now?"

"Just exactly what you've been doing for now. Remember you are being well paid for this."

He nodded as he hung up. He was being well paid but he had yet to touch any of the money. He opened his laptop and quickly accessed his bank account. He shook his head and blew out a long breath as he saw the balance.

___________


"Show me again." Sue asked as she reached for Tamara's left hand. "Tam, it's gorgeous."

"Mmm. It is. Just like the man that put it on my finger." She sighed happily.

"What's it made from Kaz?" Arry asked as she admired the engagement ring.

"The setting is solid Platinum and stone itself is an eighteen karat cushion cut diamond. It took me forever to find the perfect stone for the design."

"Have you told your parents yet?" Sue asked.

"Yes."

"And?" Arry questioned.

"They're ecstatic. Mum nearly deafened me when she screamed down the phone." Tam replied as she reached for another bottle of water. "What I want to know is how you lot knew I'd accepted?"

"Blame Phillipe for that. He said he would put a red candle in the front window if Mario gave him a certain signal and that would mean you had said yes." Arry informed her.

Tamara nodded. "I wondered why Mario left the door open a little."

"You should have seen your face when we all crashed into that room. That was priceless." Karen laughed.

Tamara giggled.

"Have you set a date yet?" Arry questioned.

"For God's sake Arry!" Tamara exclaimed with a laugh as she dropped the empty two litre water bottle into the bin.

"Tam! How many of those are you having a day?" Karen questioned.

Tamara shrugged.

"I don't know. Three maybe more, I'm not sure, I just seem to feel really thirsty all the time and I always seem to be hungry. I had a whole nine inch pizza to myself the other night."

"That's unusual for you. You can only normally manage three slices, tops." Sue reminded her with a quick nudge.

"I know." Tamara nodded. "It was a deep-pan too."

"What?! Bloody hell Tam."

Tamara shrugged and gave them a wry smile.

"Do you feel tired all the time as well?" Karen questioned.

Tamara nodded. "But I've put that down to all the time I've spent in the bathroom just lately. I'm forever making a mad dash for a pee."

"Right, to the doctor right now." Kaz yelled as she pulled Tamara by the right arm out of her apartment.

"Kaz! My next appointment isn't for another two weeks." She protested.

"Now!!" Karen yelled.

"Seb!" Urs hissed from the side of his mouth.

"Huh? What?" He replied, snatching his head up.

"The lady just asked you a question." David shook his head and laughed.

"Oh! Sorry, Could you repeat it?" He asked with a broad smile.

"I'm sorry, we're out of time I have to wrap the interview up." The grey-haired radio host informed with a frown. She continued through going through the motions of ending her show and spoke to David as they went off air. "Is he ok?" She asked, nodding towards a still beaming Sébastien as she did so. "He's very distracted today."

"He's fine." David nodded with a smile almost a wide as the one Sébastien wore.

The radio host watched all four men as they left her studio and headed for the lift. She huffed a little laugh to herself as she noticed how happy Sébastien seemed to be and wondered what the cause was.

Sébastien turned back to face her still smiling as he switched his mobile phone back on and answered the first call that came through.

"Tam, are you ok? You sound a little worried."

"There's nothing really serious to worry about babe, but how soon can you get to my doctor's office?"

"Why do you want me to come to your doctor's office? You are all right aren't you?"

"I'm fine. Honestly. Karen's just a little worried about something."

"Why? What's up?"

"She's not completely sure, but she thinks I'm showing the signs of some sort of diatbetes, you know the constant thirst, forever eating and always on the toilet. She's dragged me to the doctor for some tests to make sure."

"I had noticed how much you were eating, Porky." He teased.

He laughed as she blew a raspberry down the phone at him.

"Carry on and I'll call Simon to tell him we'll go ahead with the....." She teased back

"No. I want to keep it private Tam. I'm sorry. I'll be there within fifteen minutes." Sébastien interupted her, closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Ok. See you in fifteen babe."

"Ok. Bye chéri." Sébastien smiled as he hung up.

He nodded as his brothers asked if everything was ok. "I just need to get across to the other side of the city to Tamara's doctor."

"She's ok, isn't she." David questioned.

"Fine. Karen's just worried about something." Sébastien nodded then proceeded to tell them what Karen thought might be wrong.

They quickly made their way to the main entrance. Carlos, David and Urs got into their car and headed off for their next interview whilst Sébastien hailed a taxi and headed for Tamara's doctor's office.

___________


"What diabetes?" Tamara asked as they sat in the doctors office after a miriad of test.

"Gestational Diabetes." Her doctor replied. "Your body isn't coping with digesting food for you and providing for the baby. We would probably have picked up on it at your next appointment."

"Will it cause any problems for the baby." Sébastien asked

"We should be ok now. You're friend spotted the early signs so everything should be fine. We just have to modify you diet and do a blood test here every two weeks. I would also advise that you check your blood sugar levels at home and to check your urine for glucose. You'll also need more frequent ante-natal visits and extra ultrasound scanning. If we do all that and everything works out ok the diabetes should disappear after the birth."

"Why all the extra scans and ante-natal visits?" Tamara queried.

"We have to make sure that baby doesn't get too big. We'll show you how to monitor your levels. In the meantime, you'll need this." The doctor continued as she handed Tamara a sheet of paper.

Tamara wrinkled her nose as she read through the list of food that she could eat plenty of and what she had to restrict. She smiled broadly as she saw that it said lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.

_______


"If you apologise once more Sébastien Izambard, I'll shove you into that bloody river. It's not your fault I've developed this little problem with my pregnancy. How were you supposed to know this would happen?" Tamara said as they walked along the river bank hand in hand.

Sébastien shrugged and smiled at her. "When's the first ultrasound again?" He asked.

"Next Wednesday." Tamara smiled.

"Right. Tam, about the wedding."

"What about it?"

"Do you want to get married before or after the baby arrives?" Sébastien smiled.

"After. We both want quite a large private affair and that's going to take time to set up. I don't want to be showing and having people say that you only married me because I was pregnant."

"You're sure?" He asked as he looked at her questioningly.

"Uh-huh. Not that I really care what other people think anyway." She shook her head. "Why did you want to do it before?" Tamara asked as he let go of her hand and snaked his arm around her waist.

"Oh I'd do it tomorrow. I was just checking what you wanted." Sébastien replied with a quick kiss on her cheek.

"It's your wedding to you know. What you want counts as well?" Tamara huffed a laugh.

"I know. What about looking for somewhere new to live?" He sighed.

"Can we afford to do both?" Tamara smiled.

Sébastien nodded.

"If you don't mind living in a cardboard box under the bridge over there." He said as he pointed in the direction he was looking. "Joke!!" he yelled as Tamara playfully scowled at him.

"You can go off people you know." Tamara teased.

"Only when you've had enough of them and you will never get enough of me." Sébastien smiled broadly.

"Pretty sure of yourself aren't you Izambard." Tamara nodded as he stopped walking and scooped her into his arms. "Hey! Put me down."

"Nope."

"Put me.....Seb!!" She stopped speaking as he kissed her quickly. She sighed and snuggled her head into his chest as he carried her the remaining few yards to their apartment block.

"Yours or mine?" He asked as he tapped in his passcode with Tamara still draped in his arms.

"Yours. If you think you're getting your hands on my strawberries Sébastien Izambard you are very much mistaken." Tamara giggled as she snaked her index finger through his chest hair.

"Merde. Foiled again."

"Got to be quicker than that babe." Tamara smiled as she kissed him.

________


"You really like this place don't you?" Sébastien asked as he wrapped his arms around Tamara's waist from behind and laid his hands on her slightly swollen stomach.

They had looked at several houses over the past seven week and not one had really stood out until now. They had looked round the house they were now standing in twice and had asked to see it again.

The property had been built on quite a select street at least fifty years ago. Electornic gates gave access to the driveway which lead to the front of the house and the garage. A thick oak front door gave access to a spacious hallway. To the right double doors opened into a spacious lounge with a modern feel to it. To the left similar doors opened into a large dining-room, the kitchen was the next room to be viewed. Tamara had wrinkled her nose as soon as she had seen it. Bright yellow units had been fitted against insipid bright green walls. This would be the only downstairs room that would really need a lot of work. A door to the right gave access to a two car garage. To the right of the kitchen was another room currently being used as an office come gamesroom. A small door in the left hand corner of the hallway gave access to the cellar which was empty apart from a few packing cases.

The second floor consisted of three large bedrooms, all decorated in a nutural cream colour. The largest of these had an en-suite shower room. The master bedroom was massive and decorated in Tamara's favourite pale lilac. The en-suite bathroom contained the largest and deepest roll-top Victorian bath Tamara had ever seen and her eyes had lit up as soon when she saw it. Double windows gave access to a large balcony.

"Yes, yes I do. That kitchen would have to have to go though. Yeuch!"

Sébastien nodded in agreement as he wrinkled his nose in disapproval at the current state of it.

"The room in the cellar would make a perfect den. We could put your sofas down there. My piano would sound great in there too. Did you hear those acoustics.?"

"Sure did. We'd better keep Carlos out of there though, don't want the neighbours complaining about the noise."

Tamara giggled.

"My sofas would look great in that lounge and we would only need to buy a few other pieces of furniture. We could display all of your discs in the office or up the stairway."

"Whose bed will we use in the master bedroom?" Sébastien asked as he rocked her gently from side to side.

"Mine."

"Oh! Why?"

"Because it's newer and it hasn't taken as much punishment as yours has." Tamara giggled.

Sébastien felt himself redden at the comment.

"That balcony would give us some wonderful views across the city." She continued.

"Mmm. What about the bathroom?"

"I'd want to change the colour scheme but that bath is going nowhere. Did you see the size of it?" Tamara's eyes widened as she spoke.

Sébastien raised his eyebrows as he answered.

"Uh-huh, plenty of room for two in there."

"So where would you be taking a bath then?" Tamara teased with a wry smile.

"So not funny Madame Izambard." He retorted as he kissed her neck.

"Hey! We're not married yet."

"So! I thought you might like to hear the way it sounds."

"Oh, I like it just fine." Tamara replied as she turned around to face him.

"You want this house don't you?"

Tamara nodded.

"Well, we'd better get home and make a start on packing then."

"What? Sébastien Izambard, what have you done?" Tamara exclaimed.

Sébastien bit his bottom lip, smiled and raised his eyebrows as he reached into his pocket. Tamara's eyes widened as he pulled out a set of keys.

"You didn't?" Tamara squealled with delight.

"Yes I did."

"Oh my God! When?"

"Yesterday."

"It's really yours?" Tamara questioned.

"As from twelve o'clock this afternoon its OURS." He glared at her as he touched her forehead with his own.

Tamara checked her watch and saw that it was five past the nominated hour.

"I love you." She whispered as she felt Sébastien's right arm tighten around her waist, pulling her gently closer to him. She groaned in her throat as she felt his left hand glide gently up her back. She bit her lip softly as he reached her neck and began to curl his fingers in her hair.

"I love......Whoa! What was that?" Sébastien exclaimed as he felt a gentle jolt against his stomach.

"Just baby saying hello." Tamara informed him with a smile. "Here, give me your hand."

Sébastien did as she requested and smiled as she laid his hand on her stomach and held it there.

"Wait." She instructed. "There! Did you feel that?" she asked with a broad smile.

"Wow!" Sébastien exclaimed as he nodded. "I love you too." he whispered as he pulled her close, lifted her off her feet, kissed her softly and slowly spun her around.

________


"Are you sure there's only one in there?" Sue asked as she moved her hand off Tamara's stomach.

"Yes. Why?"

"Feels like there's more from the way he kicks." Sue replied with a smile.

"Don't I know it. And who said it's a he, it could be a girl." Tamara pouted.

"Didn't you find out at your scan?" Arry asked.

"Nope, we've decided we don't want to know. As long as he's healthy, that's all we care about. Oh you've got me doing it now Sue." She exclaimed as she rolled her eyes into the back of her head. "Now are you lot here to help me with my packing or what?"

"Okay, but how much more is there. I bushed." Sue moaned.

"Oh yes, How did it go with meeting Carlos' family?"

"Great! But it's a wonder I've got any energy left. He dragged me all over Madrid." Sue complained happily.

"Bet that's not the only reason she's so tired!" Karen teased as she gave Tamara a quick nudge.

"Kaz!" Sue yelled.

Tamara, Arry and Karen laughed loudly as they watched Sue turn the brightest shade of red they'd ever seen her go.

"So where are you getting all your energy from?" Karen asked.

"I don't know. I think it's all the excitement about the move tomorrow."

"You have got your diabetes under control, haven't you?" Karen questioned again.

"Yes. The doctor is very pleased with me." Tamara smiled in reply.

"Have you two decided on the kitchen yet?" Arry asked.

"Sort of. Seb wants the black one and I'm letting him think I want the burgundy."

"Aww Tam that's cruel." Karen smiled.

"Yes I know, but you should see his face when he pouts because he thinks I'm not giving in, it's hysterical. I don't know how I keep a straight face"

"What about the wedding? Have you set a date yet?"

"Uh huh. We've got to check that we can have it on the date we want in the place we want."

"Why? Where are you thinking of? Sue queried.

"Oh, somewhere not too far away." Tamara informed them as she glanced out of her window at one of Paris' famous landmarks.

Tamara shook her head and giggled as her friends tried to get the location out of her.

"Hey what have you got there?" Arry yelled as Sue pulled a packet of photographs from one of Tamara's kitchen drawers. "Let's have a look."

"Oh so that's where I put them." Tamara exclaimed taking the packet from Sue's hand as she spoke.

"What are they?" Arry asked.

"Some of my Africa pictures. The ones that appeared in National Geographic a couple of months ago." Tamara informed them.

"Has Seb seen them?" Karen questioned.

"Yes. He likes....." she paused and flicked through the pile of photographs. "this one the best." She continued as she showed them a picture of herself standing, in silouette, on a large rock as the sun set in the distance wearing absolutely nothing.

"Oh I wonder why!!" Sue teased as she rolled her eyes into her head.

________


"It's amazing how much junk you can collect in a few months." Sébastien exclaimed as he threw another handful of magazines into the rubbish bag.

"Is this the last room we've got to pack up because I'm exhausted?" Carlos exclaimed as he flumped himself down on the sofa next to Urs.

"Well you should have got some sleep while you were in Madrid with Sue." David teased.

"We did." Carlos retorted "Just not a lot." He continued as he smiled broadly and his eyebrows flew upward.

"Hey! Don't throw that away." Sébastien yelled snatching the copy of National Geographic from Urs' hands as he did so.

"Why not? It's not your usual type of magazine." Urs asked.

"I know, but have a look at these."

Urs, David and Carlos watched as Sébastien thumbed through the magazine and found the pictures he was looking for.

"Here."

Sébastien smiled as he watched his three friends as they looked at pictures.

"That's never Tam with that Gorilla?" David asked.

Sébastien nodded.

"How did she get that close to a Silverback?" David asked again.

"She didn't. He got that close to her."

"God! I'd have shit myself." Urs exclaimed.

"It's the picture over the page that I like the best though."

Sébastien watched Urs turn the page over and felt himself redden as they all looked at the picture.

"Pheew!" David exclaimed as he fanned himself.

"Aye! Aye! Aye!" Carlos exclaimed as he shuddered.

"Wow!" Urs blew out a long breath and blushed slightly.

"Is she......you know......wearing.......anything....?" Carlos asked as he glanced at the picture again.

Sébastien shook his head with his tongue his cheek as he raised his eyebrows.

___________


"Hey! No fair. Give me one Foxy."

"Get your own Izambard!" Tamara teased as she spun away from Sébastien with the pot of strawberries in her hand.

"Non, you learn to share. Besides which you emptied my fridge this morning, I have nothing left to eat"

Tamara glared at him as she popped another strawberry into her mouth.

"No way I'm sharing. I haven't shared these in years and I'm not about to start now. You have too got something left to eat."

"What? Oh wow, a small piece of Camembert. Big whoopdidoo!!" Sébastien exclaimed as spun his index finger in the air.

"It's still something." Tamara teased again.

Sébastien narrowed his eyes at her. He slapped his right hand on the countertop to stop her moving to her left. Tamara tried to move to her right only to find Sébastien's left arm stopping her. She watched his face as she popped in another fruit into her mouth.

"Give me one." he sulked.

Tamara bit her lip, looked into the pot and saw that there were two left. She took one and held it in her teeth as she spoke and beckoned him forward.

"You want it?" She asked.

"Yes." Sébastien nodded as he held her gaze.

"Come and get it then."

Sébastien moved quickly with his mouth as he tried to snatch the strawberry only for Tamara to suck it quickly into her own.

"Merde" he cursed.

"Hmm lovely. I told you, you've got to be quicker than that." Tamara teased as she swallowed. "Aww poor baby." She giggled as she patted Sébastien's sulking face. She laughed a little louder as Sébastien sniffed. "There you go. Don't ever say I never share." She said as she popped the last strawberry into his mouth.

"So what are we going to do now?" Sébastien asked as he swallowed the fruit, pulled Tamara close and kissed her.

"What time is it?"

"8:30 pm."

"That film we wanted to watch is about to start. We could cuddle up on the sofa and watch that."

"Okay. A film it is."

They moved to Tamara's lounge and turned the tv on. Sébastien sat on the sofa with his feet up. Tamara settled herself between his legs and made herself comfortable. She rested her head on his naked chest and sighed contendly as Sébastien gently stroked her head.

"Happy?" he asked.

"Hmm. Very." she sighed as they closed their eyes and fell asleep.

________


Five months have passed quickly. Tamara's pregnancy has progressed well, she is just one week away from the due date the doctor gave her.

"I'm in the kitchen." Tamara yelled as she answered the intercom and allowed Urs, David and Carlos to enter the house.

"Morning Tam. Where's the ugly one this morning?" Carlos asked as he scanned the kitchen. His eyes flew wide as he heard the noise behind him. "He's right behind me, isn't he?"

Tamara nodded with a wry smile on her face. She began to laugh as Atlas launched himself at Carlos sending him crashing to the floor.

"Madre mia!" Carlos yelled as he turned over to come face to face with Tamara's pet. "All right. I give. I give." Carlos yelled again as Atlas began to drool. "Tam please call him off."

Tamara smiled, bit her lip and thought for a minute as she heard David and Urs laughing at Carlos' predicament.

"What? You know he won't hurt you. He's only playing. Serves you right anyway for calling him ugly."

"Tam please! That's not what I'm bothered about." Carlos begged as he tried to push Atlas' face away from his own.

"Atlas! Away!" Tamara instructed. She stroked the dogs head as he moved away from Carlos and sat by her side.

"He did it again didn't he?" Sébastien asked as he stepped into the kitchen and saw Urs and David still laughing loudly as they helped Carlos up. "When are you going to learn not to use that word in front of him." he continued as he dusted Carlos down.

"Do you really expect me to believe that he understands what 'ugly' means?" Carlos swallowed hard as he heard Atlas growl again.

"He does when you say it." Urs smirked.

"Bullshit!" Carlos exclaimed.

"Well I can call him that and he won't do a thing to me."

"Of course you can Urs." Carlos countered as he flicked his head upwards.

"Watch this." Urs instructed him. "Atlas! Who's an ugly boy then?" he asked in he softest voice.

Everyone but Carlos laughed as the dog pricked his ears and tilted his head to one side at Urs's question.

"You'll just have to accept that he doesn't like that word coming from you mouth my friend." Sébastien said as he slapped Carlos on the back and continued laughing loudly.

"All right you lot, leave him alone now. You know how sensitive he is. Out of my kitchen and be off with you." Tamara instructed them all as she listened to Carlos cursing in Spanish. "Oooooh!" she exclaimed as she held her back.

"Tam! Are you ok?" Sébastien asked as he saw the slightly pained expression on her face.

"I'm fine. His lordship just pushed against my ribs that's all."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. Now go!"

She smiled as he kissed her goodbye for the day and whispered into her stomach, telling the baby to behave. She laughed as Sébastien felt a kick to his face.

"I don't care what you say, that dog does not understand the word 'ugly'."

Tamara laughed a she watched Carlos run for the front door with Atlas in hot pursuit. She laughed a little louder as Carlos slammed the door shut just in time.

"Oh shit!!" she heard him yell.

________


He yawned loudly as he opened his bedroom curtains. He was glad he had received a phone call from his cousin the day before saying that he would be returning to Paris very soon. He was getting fed up with following Tamara Fox and her famous boyfriend around Paris even though he was being paid twice as much as he ever earned at the airport to do it. He didn't want to do what his cousin had asked him to do but he didn't have a choice. He couldn't say no, the lives of his two small children and their mother depended on his total suplication.

It had been easy to follow them while they both lived in the apartment block. His only problem then had been making sure that Tamara never saw him. Since they had both moved out and into a house just over a mile away it had become a much more difficult job.

________


"Well everything's ready. We've just got to wait for his lordship to put in an appearance." Tamara said as she put a cuddly toy into the crib and rubbed at her aching back.

"I love this crib." Arry exclaimed as she ran her hands over the smooth woodwork. "Where did you buy it from?"

"Oh! We didn't buy it. Gaston made it for us."

"Not the Gaston, your Mother and Father's Gaston?" Sue queried.

Tamara nodded.

"Wow! He must be good with his hands because this is gorgeous." Arry continued, still admiring the crib as she spoke.

"He is. He's made some beautiful pieces of furniture in the past, but he never sells them. They're always presented as a gift."

"Tam! Are you ok?" Karen asked as she saw her friend breathe in deep then slowly blow the breath out.

Tamara smiled and nodded.

"Are you in labour?" Karen questioned again.

"I think so, but just the very early stages." Tamara replied with a smile.

"How close are your contractions." Karen questioned once more.

"About every thirty-five minutes."

"Do you want to page Seb yet?" Sue asked.

Tamara shook her head. "Not yet."

________


"Maybe we should have left him at home this morning." Urs whispered to Carlos and David as they watched Sébastien sitting on the sofa in their dressing room staring into space. "Good job we're only making this one appearance today and that it's local too."

"What?" Sébastien asked as he snatched his head up.

"Something wrong amigo?" Carlos questioned.

"I'm just a bit worried about Tam. I've not seen that expression on her face before."

"I'm sure everything is okay. You have got the pager with you haven't you." David asked.

Sébastien nodded and opened his hand to show them the instrument that would call him to Tamara's side.

"Seb!" David exclaimed.

"What?"

"Err it would help if you actually switched the damn thing on." David laughed as he indicated the switch.

"Oh! Right! Of course."

"Let just hope it doesn't go off during the song." Urs teased.

"Hey! If it does, I'm out of here as soon as I can."

________


"Ok Tam, I think it's time we got you to the hospital." Karen informed her as she watched her friend blow the contraction away. "Those last two were only five minutes apart."

"Me too." Tamara nodded.

Karen smiled as she watched Tamara send the message.

________


Sébastien's eyes flew wide as they all held the final note to its fade. He fumbled in his pocket as the show's audience applauded loudly.

"Got to go." he whispered to Urs as he turned to run backstage.

He gave the audience a quick wave and a broad smile as Urs informed them that he was about to become a father. He drew in a deep breath as he heard the audience yelling and clapping loudly. He swallowed hard as he stepped into the Mazda and sped from the TV studio.

________


Tamara smiled at him through half open eyes as he crashed through the door.

"Thanks girls. Are you ok chéri?" Sébastien asked as he took hold of Tamara's right hand, kissed her forehead gently and smiled at Sue, Arry and Karen as they left the room.

"I'm fine. I'm going to get up in minute and go run the Paris marathon." Tamara replied as another contraction began to take hold. "Good stuff this." She informed him as she sucked on the Entonox.

"You're so not funny. Is that all you're getting for pain relief?" Sébastien laughed at her joke.

"Uh-huh." Tamara nodded. "Apparently I'm too far gone for anything else." She continued as her midwife entered the room.

"Hey Tam. How are you?"

"Hey Fleur. I'm just fine thanks."

"Good. I'm just going to have a look and see how you're progressing." Fleur informed as she slipped on a pair of latex gloves.

Sébastien gently stroked Tamara's face and smiled softly as Fleur examined her.

"Well Tam I think you've set some sort of record. I want you to start pushing with the next contraction. Ok?"

Tamara nodded and giggled as she heard Sébastien exclaim 'Already'.

________


He blew out a long breath as he pushed the button that would leave the message on his cousin's mobile.

"Vengeance is thine."

He sighed heavily and swallowed bile as he closed his mobile.

________


Gil laughed evilly as he closed his mobile having read the short pre-determined message that would inform him that Tamara was in labour.

He smiled at the woman behind the passport control desk of Charles de Gaulle airport and laughed at her reaction. He took a quick look into the arrivals area and reacted quickly when he saw a small group of women with red scarves. He pulled the black trilby hat down over over his eyes and wrapped the silk scarf around his face. He wasn't completely healed yet and needed to get by the woman without them recognising him. He moved quickly through the area and managed to make it into a taxi without them noticing him. He told the taxi driver where he wanted to go then sat back and laughed to himself.