A couple of things before we get started. One: A shout-out to my beta/helper person Mals86, you've been a big help. Two: Only my oc's are owned by me and nothing else. insert usual disclaimer here. Three: I have added in an occasional song that either inspired me while writing a section. They are good so check them out if you want. Four: The following story as aspects of the following: Sexual Situations, Foul Language, Mention of Suicide, Abuse, and of course, Violence. That's all that I can think of off the top of my head, if others get added later Ill put out another warning but otherwise this is your only warning about content. don't like it, you shouldn't be reading M. Five: When I heard Stabbing Westward's Save Yourself I said to myself that that is tommy's emotional theme song. Hence the title. Go find it.
Blah blah blah - Thoughts
Blah blah blah - Written words
This is Tommy/OFC mainly but has other OC's in it as well.
Almost 2 years after Sparta 1:
Tommy felt that he was being polite enough by even coming out of Brendan's basement. He nodded and gave a insincere smile when reintroduced to the Mr. and Mrs. Frank Campana before swinging into the kitchen for his third bottle of beer before heading out to the garage where Brendan's weight set still resided. The awkwardness that radiated off Brendan when Tommy and Frank were in the same room sent his nerves on edge and Tommy just didn't currently have the patience for it. Brendan walked in not thirty seconds after him.
"Hey, you sure you are ok with us leaving? Because I can call off the reservations. You just say the word."
Tommy looked up at his brother from his arm curl reps. He snorted softly at him. "Naw man, you go take Tess out. Don't worry about me."
"Ok, well Frank's sister, Noemi, should be here any second. She should be able to handle the girls all on her own." Brendan looked at his watch and frowned. "It's not like her to be late."
Tommy just grunted and went back to focusing on his curls. Brendan took the hint and went back inside where the faint sounds of talking and laughter could be heard.
The word-vomit letters that Brendan had sent him bi-monthly while Tommy was in military confinement had gone a long way clearing the air even though the only thing Tommy had ever written back was 'Brendan, when I get out, can I stay at your place for a few months? Tommy.' Things were still tense and awkward on Tommy's side; especially with Tess.
He didn't blame Tess on insisting on a baby sitter for their girls. In fact, he was relieved but he didn't have to like the look in her eyes when she said it. Like he was going to suddenly turn into Paddy. The worst part was that Tommy didn't know that he wouldn't. The rage in him was still lingering far to close to the surface for him to trust much in himself.
The sound of running feet on concrete brought Tommy's head up to look out the open garage door to see who was running up Brendan's driveway. Seeing as how it was dark in the garage and the sun would be in her eyes, he took a moment to judge who would be responsible for his precious nieces.
The woman hardly looked a day over twenty. Her face still had the glow of exercise and youth. Despite her Italian background her skin was pale, almost sallow which was a change from the newest trend of women tanning themselves into a different nationality. Long dark brown, almost black, wavy hair wove around in the light breeze made by her jogging. Tommy hoped Brendan knew what he was doing hiring a girl to watch his daughters who wore faded ripped up black cargo pants, a tee shirt that said something about sarcasm, and old worn combat boots. He vowed to keep an eye on her.
It wasn't long before he heard greetings ring out in the house. Brendan and Tess came out first, dressed nicely and were followed by Frank and his wife, Jessa. Tommy gave a half hearted wave in response as they piled into Brendan's mini van and left for their fancy double date.
Never should have worn combat boots today. Noemi Campana thought as she ran down around the corner of the suburbs where Brendan lived. Bren's not going to hear the end about the latest antics of his p.o.s. When Brendan came back from Atlantic City with his pockets heavy, the last thing he did after taking care of his bills was by a new Camry. Frank suggested that Noemi by his old one from him. Well Brendan being who he was, wouldn't take money for it and said it was a gift considering all the times she had to baby sit for free when Brendan was training and Tess was working.
As she came up on Brendan's driveway, she was breathing a little heavy but didn't stop as she jogged the rest of the way up to the front door and went in without knocking. Brendan's house was almost like a second home.
"There you are! What happened?" Frank demanded. Frank tolerated many things but tardiness wasn't one of them.
"Hello to you too, bro." She scowled at her older brother before turning to Brendan. "Your P.O.S left me stranded in front of that nasty old woman's house down on Elm. Again."
"I'll go with you after dinner and we will see what's wrong with it." Brendan answered. Tess came down from upstairs and rushed over to give Noemi a hug.
"Oh god, Tess, your squeezing the life out of me!" Noemi teased. Tess and Noemi were pretty close. Noemi always went to Tess for help on how to deal with her boyfirend Jake. There is nothing like 17 years experience living with a fighter to teach you some tricks.
"Oh no, Noemi, what happened to your hand?" Noemi rolled her eyes. Figures Tess would notice it first. Both Frank and Brendan's eyes swiveled to said hand and took in the flesh colored wrist brace. Brendan looked worried and Frank looked like he was about to loose his Zen state.
"Oh, it was nothing. I just slipped in some water in the kitchen and landed on it wrong." She gave it a sheepish wringing with her other hand. She remembered to look both Brendan and Frank in the eyes, so that they wouldn't catch that some of it was a lie. Frank's eyes narrowed in distrust.
"That man is bad news. When are you going to listen to me and drop him?" Frank watched his sister roll her eyes. Frank's wife, Jessa, gave him a playful smack to the shoulder.
"Let the girl have some fun! Those 'bad boys' can be real keepers once you get past the crusty outside." Jessa gave her husband a pinch to the stomach and winked at him. Jessa was your classic blonde with a 'fly, be free' attitude. She wasn't tall or leggy, but curvy and everything about her was dainty and graceful. Noemi could attest to the graceful part, she had seen the woman chase after Brendan's Rosie in 4 inch stilettos and not break an ankle. It didn't hurt that Jessa thought that the sun rose and set by Frank's command. They had been married barely a year.
"Why else do you think I've put up with Bren for as long as I have?" Tess added in. Everyone laughed, even Brendan, who shook a finger at her in mock anger.
"Your going to pay for that." There was a twinkle in Tess' eyes that made Noemi want to barf. How could you still be that much in love with your high school sweetheart after 2 kids and 16 years? "Well we best head out for the restaurant or we will be late."
"Ok so, Tommy's in the garage, you shouldn't have to worry about him much, the girls are in the den watching cartoons, you know the drill, only an hour before dinner and then baths and bed." Tess rattled off.
"Yeah, yeah I know the drill. Go have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Noemi told them as they gathered their coats and headed out to the garage. She soon heard them get into the mini van and leave. She gave a sigh and headed for the kitchen. She dropped her keys and phone on the counter near the fridge and reached in for a water. She was busy drinking it and pulling out the chicken for dinner when her phone went off. Probably Jake wanting to finish that argument from earlier. She went over and saw that she had a text that wasn't from Jake but her best friend, Kevin Corcorran.
Hey jake not at joses. went to bar with marcos. flirting with ring girl from last weeks fight. Noemi frowned. It wasn't the first time Jake had flirted with another girl and Kevin knew that. Usually, he stayed out of their relationship unless Noemi asked him what to do about something.
Yeah so? he knows better than to touch those hussies. and where is jose? Noemi texted back. Kevin responded right back.
Marcos has proof its him. he sent them to me. jose pulled hamstring in gym, marcos had him deep. hes at hospit. j and m out for celebration drinks. Noemi cursed.
Wait, them? Noemi hardly had time to finish typing before Kevin had written again.
No im not sending you the pictures.
Yes you are.
No. She cursed again.
Yes, damnit Kev you are. if its true then we are done for good this time. you know what those girls are like. i wont put up with a guy who sleeps with girls like that. She waited a while in silence before her phone dinged four times one after another.
The first was some busty brunette in a handkerchief of a top and a very short skirt sitting on a mans lap. His face was hidden in the woman's hair and the woman had her head thrown back in laughter. He had a Heineken in his left hand, which was Jake's favorite. That doesn't mean anything. That could be anybody.
The second and third were much of the same only in different positions on a bar booth. One showed the side of the man's head but it was too dark to make out any features.
The fourth was different. It showed a very pale ginger haired man grinning at the camera, nuzzled up to the woman's neck. Beer forgotten on the table in favor of a hand up the woman's skirt. The other hand hidden under her halter top. Just before the edge of her halter top obscured his hand from view, there it was. If his face hadn't been enough, his barbed wire tattoo sealed the deal. It was Jake Michaels with a skanky ring girl. At first, she was shocked. Then she was mad and now she was pissed. I'm going to kill him.
Tommy left the door connecting the house and the garage open so he could listen to what was going on in the house. The lack of high pitched girly yammering meant the girls were likely watching cartoons in the den. He could hear the girls joining in with the TV to sing about a pineapple under the sea. Good that should keep them quiet and in one spot for a few hours.
The door connecting the garage to the house was right off the kitchen, which allowed him to eavesdrop on Noemi banging around in there. The sound of a cell phone dinging went off and all movement stopped. There was whispered curses and the sound of more dinging followed by louder curses. Then it all went quiet except for the wafting sounds of the girls laughing at cartoons.
"That son of a bitch," Rang out clear in a voice that spoke of cold rage. Tommy listened to footsteps clomp off towards the girls. "You girls going to be ok for a few minutes? I got to go out side for a little while." Tommy could hear the tension in her voice but was relieved that she was not showing any part of her anger to Emily and Rosie. They muttered responses, not even fully aware of the world. Tommy had seen this phenomenon before with Manny's kids but it never failed to perplex him.
Noemi's heavy combat boots could be heard returning to the kitchen before going out into the back yard and closing the door to the house. If her previous language was any indication, she obviously knew better than to expose Brendan's kids to that many different foul words. Tommy covertly opened the door in the garage that went straight into the back yard and leaned against the door frame sipping his beer. The angle of the deck allowed him to watch without being obvious, now that his curiosity was piqued.
"Come on, come on, pick up you worthless piece of shhii..." She growled into her phone; scowling and pacing. Tommy's lips twitched at the change in tone mid word. "Hi, babe, I was just seeing if you got to Jose's ok." Her fake tone and shaking hands gave her anger way. "Yeah? Uhhuh...Yeah?" She kept up the façade for a few seconds. Her feet stopped moving and her features became more severe. "Then how do you explain the fact that Jose is in the hospital with a pulled hamstring and I have pictures of you playing tonsil hockey with some trashy ring girl?" She snarled at the man on the phone. "Not you is it? Funny, he just so happens to have your same arm tattoo. The one with the barbed wire. The funniest part is that its halfway up her skirt!"
"No, no, no, you can't talk yourself out of this one Jake. I've had enough with your fucking bullshit! I can't believe this is how you repay me for all the crap you have put me through." There was a pause before her mouth dropped in shock. "Are you fucking serious!? My mood swings!? You were the one 'roided out of your fucking head!" She practically screamed at the phone. There was more silence on her part. She folded her arms across her chest tapped her foot on the grass and stared at the ground with an ironic smirk. She was nodding her head and looking more and more vicious as the seconds go by.
"Well Jake, you can go back to your skanky ring girl. She can have you, but I wouldn't blame her if she doesn't stick around long, god knows you weren't that good in bed." There was a pause before the vicious smile got bigger. "What do I mean? I mean that I've been faking it for the past two years." She hung up on him and stood there staring at her phone.
She suddenly pulled her arm back and threw the phone in Tommy's direction, by chance of course, shouting "Asshole!" in a broken voice. The phone bounced off the side on the house and dropped to the concrete, shattering. Tommy took one last pull off his beer and was turning around to mind his own business when he heard sniffling. He turned back to the doorway and looked to see where Noemi was standing near the deck, staring at Emily's tree house, shaking with her almost silent sobs.
Aww, shit. The one thing Tommy couldn't abide; crying women. He looked around, hoping that someone else had magically appeared so he wouldn't have to comfort her himself. He thought about leaving her to her tears anyway; it wasn't his business. But he couldn't. Each shuddering breath ate at him like acid until he walked out of the garage and over to her.
By this time, Noemi was so lost in her crying that when Tommy reached an arm around her shoulders, she didn't think before curling into his wide chest and burrowing her face in his shoulder. She half collapsed against him. The sobs were near hyperventilation and she was shaking like a jackhammer. Tommy just stared out across Brendan's yard, stroking her back and making calming "ssshhh" sounds.
Tommy sighed. This was very different from comforting his mother when she had cried or Pilar who was more like a sister to him. He blamed it on not having been in physical contact with a woman in years and the three beers that must have loosened his iron grip on his libido. He hated himself in those minutes holding Noemi. What kind of creep prevs on a woman while she's crying? He tried to release himself gently from her but she just attached herself to the front of his navy hoodie. He sighed again.
Noemi was tall for a woman, probably only a few inches shorter than Tommy. It wasn't that uncommon considering Tommy wasn't a real tall guy but it was a little surprising that she was as tall as she was without heels on. He tried his hardest to ignore how with each shuttering breath he could feel her breasts move across his chest and how small her waist felt under his hands. He was used to feeling the thick bulk of a man's body under his hands from all the years of fighting; it was familiar. The soft delicateness of a woman's body was an exquisite alien feel to him that brought out the primal want to mate and protect. He gave himself a mental shake as he could feel himself start to become aroused.
It was just the right timing since she seemed to be more aware of herself as seconds passed. He looked down at her face as it came further away from his shoulder. Her breathing had calmed and the tears were slowing from her red eyes. She finally let go of her handfuls of his sweatshirt and wiped at her face with her hands. He noticed a skin toned wrist brace on her right hand and hoped that it was for carpal tunnel. Tommy slowly let his arms return to his sides and she took two steps back. She finally looked up first at his wet shoulder and then his face. He was startled a little by her dark amber eyes surrounded by clumpy black lashes. Her thick eyeliner was smeared all over her cheeks and Tommy assumed it was on his hoodie too.
"Oh, I'm sorry about that," and then her face fell a little when she recognized who he was, which irritated him. Her face turned bright red. "You didn't have to," She looked at the grass and sounded so meek compared to the woman that had been on the phone.
"You good now?" It came out sounding gruffer than he meant but there was nothing he could do now.
"Yeah, I'm good." She wiped at her cheeks again and looked at her fingers only to blush again at the black smeared there. She turned quickly away from him and scurried back into the house without another word. Not even a 'thank you for letting me turn you into a giant tissue'? Women, whatever.
Read and Review. If anyone got confused by the years on Brendan and Tess's relationship holler and I will explain it at the beginning of the next chapter. If no one says anything about it, I'll assume everyone understood.