#they would've and should've pulled up to defended Miles

[pixiatn]

[thatssonanii]

The Real Her

A/N: Candace comes clean to Benny.

Ever since the shooting, Benny had done his best to do the right things. He hadn't talked to Candace and even though he had told Mitch to call him for anything, he hadn't heard from or talked to him either. Benny had been there whenever Melissa, his siblings, niece and nephew needed something. He was trying to turn over a new leaf and do better. No one expected it from him, he knew they were waiting for him to slip up again so they could call him dumb but he wasn't going to let that happen.

Melissa was spending the night with Alaina and the kids so that Alaina could braid her hair before their baby arrived. Caleb and Cameron had gone to see about one of Cameron's rental properties that was having maintenance issues. Benny and Hanna were the only ones home, she was in the kitchen cooking while Benny stepped out onto the stoop for fresh air. The sun had already started to set by the time he sat down.

Every time Benny heard a loud noise or someone yell out to him, he panicked for a few seconds. He tried to stop his anxiety but he hadn't found a way to control it. The shooting had given him PTSD, according to his doctor but he didn't want to try therapy without trying to work through it himself.

"Benny, you got a second?"

His brown eyes made contact with his sister's. From her eyes her could see that she was dealing with something but that was of none of his concern.

"You know you're not supposed to be here, Candace. Just leave," he sighed staring out into the street.

She laughed a little leaning against the stone of the stoop. "Is that anyway to treat your big sister, B?"

"Don't go there, Candace. You know nobody in this house wants you around here. Say what you gotta say and leave before Mommy comes out here or Caleb gets back." He warned not looking at her.

Ever since she talked with Caleb, Candace's mind had been going a mile a minute. She knew he was right about everything. As much as she said she loved Benny, she knew she didn't. Something in her wouldn't allow it. She disliked him almost as much as she disliked their mama. But she felt bad.

"I just started feeling guilty and figured I should come by and tell you before someone else did," she explained. She watched Benny's eyes move from the thin traffic to her. "I'm sorry I didn't come see you after you got shot."

"That's what you came here for," he scoffed. "I had everybody I needed there. You would've bought extra drama and you know it. You and Mommy can't be in the same place as each other."

"I didn't come cause I thought the guy had better aim. I thought you were dead."

Benny held his head down, thinking about what she said. It didn't make sense to him.

He stood from the step, staring down at her. "What are you saying, Candace?"

"I'm saying that the person who shot you wasn't after Mitch. They were after you and I," she paused as he walked down the steps, "I was the one who sent them."

"I could have died, Candace! What the hell were you thinking? About some damn money?"

She folded her arms after taking taking a few steps back from her brother's towering frame. "I was thinking that Hanna took my son from me so I was gonna take hers. You were just collateral damage."

"Mommy didn't kill Lil Q, Candace! You did! You killed him with your vindictiveness and greed!" Benny yelled angrily.

"I didn't come here for that, Benny. I came here to tell you what happened so we can move on."

He screwed his face up at her words. "There is no moving on, Candace. You tried to kill me? Your own brother that you say you love! After all the shit I've done for you, even after what you put me through I was still there for your no good ass and defended you to Mommy! Like a dumbass I was always there and This," he yelled pointing to where his wounds were, "This is what you do! This is how you repay me! You try to kill me! I have a baby on the way, Candace! You almost took me from my family for some bullshit!"

No matter what Canace had planned on accomplishing with Benny, that went out the window as soon as he spazzed out on her. She watched him go off with an evil smirk.

"I don't care about any of that, Benny! You're as stupid as everybody says you are. I only dealt with you because I knew you follow me blindly no matter what that Holy bitch said. You're stupid and weak but you're her baby," she spat looking him up and down, "The only real way to hurt her is by using and hurting you, Benny. And I'll succeed just like every other time. I don't love you and never have, you're nothing but a pawn."

With his heart thumping and anger flowing through his veins, Benny snatched Candace by her throat with both hands choking her. He bent her backwards until she was on the ground. Watching her struggle under his grasp, Benny could only hear her words echoing in his head.

"Let go, Benjamin. Let her go," Hanna yelled from the stoop. She had been watching from the door since she heard Benny's first outburst. She could see he wasn't listening and was thankful that Cameron and Caleb had just pulled up.

Both men jumped out of Caleb's suv and ran over to Benny. Cameron pushed his hands against Benny's chest while Caleb wrapped his hands around Benny's wrist carefully pulling them away.

"Easy, B. Let her go," Caleb cooed softly. He looked into Benny's eyes as he repeated himself.

"Benjamin, let her go," Hanna yelled again.

Cameron looked at his mama then his father. He knew Hanna yelling wouldn't help.

"Go on in the house, Mama. We'll be in there in just a second. Right, Benny," he asked. "Tell mama you're coming in there, B."

Benny stared blankly at Cameron, his anger was still there but his grip on Candace's neck had loosened. Hanna watched a few seconds longer before retreating into the house.

Candace gasped for air as Caleb and Cameron pushed Benny away from her. Caleb whispered encouraging words into Benny's ear until his breathing slowed.

"If you thought this was over," Candace gasped out, "I'm just getting started."

"And I'll gladly finish it," Cameron snapped.

Once Caleb was able to get his boys into the house, he sent Cameron upstairs and Benny into the kitchen with Hanna. They needed to talk to Benny. Hanna stood at the counter, her hands braced on the edge as she stared at her distraught son.

"I told you that girl wasn't no good. We all told you that, Benjamin."

Benny stood against the wall with his head down. He didn't have anything to say to her or anyone else.

"Now look at you. You're heartbroken over your evil ass sister. Had you just listened to me, your ass wouldn't be in this shit," Hanna fussed. "But no you carried your ass around her like you know everything and don't know shit, Benjamin! I told you all along she was using you."

Caleb put a hand on her shoulder to calm her. He like everyone else in their family knew that Benny deserves to be fussed at a lot but to Caleb this wasn't one of those times.

"Take it easy, Hanna. He just found out his sister tried to kill him," Caleb whispered.

"I won't," she spat. "I've been telling that boy for how long to stay stay away from Candace's evil ass and he didn't listen."

"To be fair, she would've done this whether or not Benny was talking to her. She did this to hurt you."

Hanna threw her hands up, making her way out of the kitchen. "I don't care. Either way, he should've known better than to be around her for this long time then this shit wouldn't have hurt him this bad. End of story."

Caleb knew he should have gone behind Hanna but his fatherly instincts couldn't allow Benny to stand there like that. His body shook from the tears he cried, it broke Caleb's heart. No matter how dumb Benny was, no one deserved this. Walking around the kitchen to Benny, Caleb pulled his head to his chest allowing him to cry there. His body shook even harder as sobs passed through his lips.

"It's alright, Benny. It's alright. I got you, nothing is gonna happen to you. Nothing."