My Real Bloody Valentine
Summary: Tom goes to sell the mine after his father's death, but he's not alone.
Disclaimer: My Bloody Valentine doesn't belong to me, it belongs to Lions Gate. Neither do the characters in this fic. None of this really happened. It was just something that popped into my head while I was watching MBV.
Pairings: Tom Hannigar/fem!Clay Miller
Chapter 1: Returning to Harmony.
10 years ago, there was an explosion in Hanniger Mines, killing many miners. On Valentine's Day, Harry Warden had killed 22 men, women and children before Mine Number 5 collapsed and buried him. Tom Hanniger, son of the mine's owner, had witnessed the killings in the Mines and had left, not returning to Harmony for 10 years. Now, his father his dead and he's come back to sell the mines. And he isn't alone.
-
Tom pulled up and parked on top the hill that was above Hanniger Mines. Getting out, he walked to the edge of the cliff, squatting, watching the men work. Looking to his right, he saw the doors leading to Mine 5. With a steady breath, he stood and walked back to his truck. Once inside, he looked over to his right to where his sleeping wife was. Claire Miller-Hanniger. Reaching over, he gently shook her.
"Claire? Babe, we're here." He said. Claire's eyes fluttered as she came back awake and slowly sat up.
"We're here already?" She asked.
"Yep, just got here. How are you feeling?"
"Good. Stiff and hungry though."
"We'll go to Ben's before we get something to eat and then we'll be out of here before you know it." Tom said, laying a hand on her.
Claire smiled and placed her other hand over his where it was on her stomach, rubbing soft circles on it. They both smiled down at her swollen stomach where their daughter, Mia Roslyn Hanniger, resided. Claire was five months pregnant and Tom couldn't be happier. When he met Claire, he'd been in a bad place after the stuff happened with Harry, as had she with the crap that happened at Camp Crystal Lake and Jason, but she helped keep him grounded and within a year of dating, he asked her to marry him. Then four years later, Claire had gotten pregnant and he couldn't keep the smile off his face. Pulling away from the hill, he drove toward town, wanting to get his family out as quick as possible.
They arrived at Ben's 45 minutes later. Tom helped Claire out of the truck and they walked up to the door. Claire wrapped her coat tighter around herself as Tom knocked on the door. An older gentleman appeared and Tom waved. He opened the door and took them in.
"Tom. What are you doing here?" Ben asked.
"What am I doing here? I'm here to sign the papers."
"They moved the signing to Monday."
"They moved the signing to Monday? Great." Tom said in frustration.
"Well, you're here. Do you want to come in for a drink?" Ben asked.
"Yeah, sure. Ben, this is Claire, my wife. Claire, this is Ben. He was good friends with my father." Tom introduced putting a hand on Claire's back.
"Hi, nice to meet you. Tom's told me all about you." Claire said, holding a hand out while the other lay on her stomach.
"Your…wife you say? Well, good for you, Tommy. Your Dad would've been happy for you. Nice to meet you, Claire. From the looks of it you look like you two have a little Hanniger on the way." Ben inquired as they went into the family room.
"Yep, a baby girl in about four months. Mia Roslyn Hanniger." Tom said as Claire took a seat in one of the chairs.
"Congratulations. Fatherhood is a bumpy one, but it's worth it in the end." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "We missed you at the funeral. Course, your father missed you long before that." Ben said handing Tom the glass of scotch.
"Well, he could've found me if he wanted to."
"You know, he'd kick your ass if he knew you were selling the mine." Tom shrugged
"It is what it is, Ben."
"Bullshit. That mine is Harmony's life blood, Tom. We're talking families here."
"I was assured everyone would get severance and that the more experience men, like yourself, would be kept on." Tom said.
"For how long? Three months?" Claire jumped when his voice rose. Tom placed a hand on her shoulder, calming her.
"It's not my problem."
"No, it's my fucking problem."
"Those mines have been outdated since I was a kid. But my father was just too stubborn to see it, and you know that."
"Oh, so that's what this is all about. All right." Turning around, Ben grabbed a small box and set it on the table. "If you need to make peace with your daddy, here he is." Tom sighed and set his glass on the table and picking up the box. "I'm majority shareholder. And I'm selling the mine. And that's all there is to it." Turning away from Ben, he looked to Claire, "Come one, let's go find a place to stay. You need your rest." He helped her up and as they walked out, Ben called out.
"Your dad and I protected those men! Selling the mine won't sit well with anyone in this town."
"Well, come Monday, we're gone. Now, if you'll excuse me, my wife and I need to find a place to sleep until we leave." With one last look, he placed a hand on Claire's back and they walked out. Tom helped her into the trunk and they drove to the nearest motel. Getting out of the truck, Tom saw a small black dog coming towards them, probably to investigate the new people.
"Louis! Get back here! Louis!" A small woman came from the reception area as Jensen scooped up the dog.
"Hey, is Val here?"
"God I hope not! He's been dead for almost seven years now!" She exclaimed. Tom smiled lightly, sharing a look with Claire before turning to the woman. "Trade you the dog for a room for my wife and me?" Tom said.
"All right, follow me." Tom smiled triumphly at Claire who playfully rolled her eyes at him before plucking the dog out of his arms and going in to check in. Once they signed in, she gave them a key and told them to have a good night. Draping an arm over her shoulders, Tom led Claire to their room, her arm finding its way around his waist. As they passed room five, the moans of people having sex could be heard right through the walls. Stopping for a second, they laughed as they realized they had found the seediest motel in Harmony. They walked a couple steps, grimacing when they saw they were right next to the room having sex. But whether it was seedy or not, it was a warm bed and a roof over their heads for the remainder of their stay. Beggars couldn't be choosers. Using the key, Tom opened the door and allowed Claire to enter before closing and locking the door behind him. The bed looked comfortable enough, at least for Claire as she sunk down in it with a pleased sigh.
"God, this feels sooo good after such a long car ride." Claire said, hands coming up to rub circles over her stomach. Ever since she entered her fifth month, she's had trouble sitting for long periods of time in a car.
"You want me to give you a back rub? I know you really like them." Tom said setting his bag on the floor next to the bed.
"Nah, I just wanna sleep. I'm gonna go change and brush my teeth." Claire stood and kissed Tom on the forehead, "Don't forget to take your meds, hun." Then she half-waddled into the bathroom with her pj's. Tom dug through his bag and found his prescription bottle. Opening it, he took out two pills and swallowed them dry, trying to drown out the noises coming from next door. Memories of what happened 10 years ago assaulted him and he desperately tried to push them away,
"Tom." A hand touched his cheek, bringing him back to the present. Taking a deep ragged breath, he opened his eyes and locked eyes with Claire. Tom knew that if he didn't have her, he would've lost his mind years ago. Claire kept him grounded, just like he does when she has flashbacks to what happened to her at Crystal Lake and her sister. Tom could clearly remember the day he met Claire and fell in love with her.
5 years ago
Tom had been going from town to town, trying to run away from his past. He'd been at a mental institution for a while before he checked himself out, thinking it was for the best to keep moving on. He kept the pills his doctor and prescribed him with unlimited refills anywhere. So, he wouldn't totally be off his rocker. Coming to a sign, he saw it said 'Camp Crystal Lake. 10 Miles.' With a quick decision, he turned down the gravel road and drove down to the camp. There were trees everywhere he looked, though he wasn't surprised since it was going near a camp. He'd been driving for a bit through the forest when all of sudden, he saw a woman run out of the woods-right in front of his car. Slamming his foot on the brakes, Tom just barely stopped from hitting her. He got and was about to bitch about running across the road without looking, but stopped when he actually looked at her. Her face was covered in cuts and blood, her hair disheveled and tangled, tear tracks ran down her cheeks.
"Hey, are you ok?" Tom asked walking closer to her. With a wretched sob, she flung herself into his arms and cried into his shoulder. Tom, took shocked to do anything else, wrapped his arms around her, trying to get her to calm down. He caught vague snippets of what she was saying but as she gradually eased from harsh sobs, he could easily make out, "They're dead, they're all dead." Tom looked down at the poor woman in his arms and was seized with this overwhelming need to protect her. To cherish her and keep her away from all harm. Tightening his hold on her, he began to ask her about what happened since she was much calmer than she was before.
"Ok, first of all, what's your name?" Tom asked.
"Claire, Claire Miller."
"Ok, Claire, my name's Tom Hanniger. Can you tell me what happened?" Tom asked as gently as possible.
"There this guy, Jason Voorhees He killed everyone one. I came here to look for my little sister, Whitney since she was here last time I heard from her. He had her fucking chained up in a dirty underground lair of some sort. We got her unchained and we ran like hell out, but the girl, the one with the group of kids that was here, he caught her and killed her. He came after us next. We had lured him to the barn and somehow sent him through the grain grounder. Everyone would've thought he was dead, but he wasn't. After my sister and I dragged and dumped his body into the lake, he suddenly came out of nowhere and dragged her into the water. I tried to look for her, but I couldn't see anything. Then I ran through the forest trying to find my way to civilization. And here we are." Claire finished trying to put some humor in there.
'Jesus, and I thought one serial killer was enough to deal with,' Tom thought. "All right, let's get you into my truck and get you to the hospital to get those cuts looked at. Don't want them to get infected." Tom said getting her and then hopping in the driver's seat, making a U-turn and heading back to the main road.
"Thank you, this means a lot to me." Claire said smiling bringing out her dimples. After that, Tom could say he was hooked on Claire's smile alone.
End
"Babe, you ok?" Claire asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yeah, I'm good. Just…been a long day I guess. Come on, let's get some shut eye." Tom stripped to his boxers and got into bed next to Claire, his hand immediately going to her stomach. Putting his lips on her swollen abdomen, he lightly kissed the skin there, "Good night, little Mia. Don't cause too much trouble for your Mommy ok?" There was a flutter of kicking from inside making Tom smile. He leaned back on the pillows, kissing Claire goodnight before they went to sleep.
Claire woke up a half-hour later to screaming. Sitting up, she listened for a minute. Another scream came, making her jump right out of her skin. She turned to Tom and shook him awake. "Tom, wake up!"
Tom groaned and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Clay, what is it?"
"That woman was screaming. And it wasn't the good kind of screaming. Maybe we should go check on them."
"Clay, maybe they like the BDSM stuff. With these kinds of motels, who knows what kind of people come here? Now, let's go back to sleep. We're gonna need it for the next couple days." He sat back and drew Claire with him, so her head rested on his chest. His hand that was on her back moved to her stomach, drawing circles on it, soothing mother and child. Within a few minutes, Claire was asleep and Tom wasn't far behind.
Claire woke them early the next morning and they went into town to the grocery store to get some stuff for the duration of their stay. Glancing up, Tom stopped short. It was Mercer's Grocery Store. So, Sarah would be there no doubt.
"Tom?" Claire called out, looking back to the husband.
"Yeah, I'm coming." He put an arm around her waist as she grabbed a cart and pushed it into the toiletry aisle. Claire had gotten some more pre-natal vitamins since she'd been running low on them. A case of water and some snacks for when they go back home.
"So, want to tell me what's going on in that of yours?" Claire asked when they were in the milk aisle.
"It's just….this is Sarah's parents store. So, it's weird being here."
"Your ex-girlfriend, Sarah?"
"Yeah, that's the one." Tom confirmed.
"Well, let's show her that you don't need anyone in this town, okay? I'm still pissed at her and the others for just leaving you in that damn mine." Claire said as they walked to the register.
"Babe, it was 10 years ago. Let it go." Claire rolled her eyes and sighed,
"All right. Oh, I forgot something. Can you go and get stretch mark cream? I'm all out."
"Sure thing, Clay. Be right back." Tom kissed her cheek and went to the medicine aisle.
Claire walked up to the register where a red-headed woman greeted her.
"Hello, did you find everything you needed?" She asked. One her nametag, it said Sarah.
"Yep, my husband is just getting the last thing I needed. Pregnancy brain I swear." Claire said putting everything on the counter.
"Oh, don't I know it. I was the same way when I was pregnant with my son, Noah. How long you guys in town for?"
"Just for the weekend til he gets the papers all signed and everything then we're heading back home on Monday." Claire said handing Sarah her debit card. Looking on in, Sarah saw the last name was Miller-Hanniger. 'Hanniger? But that would mean…'
"Your husband wouldn't happen to be-" Sarah was cut off when Tom walked up, placing the stretch mark scream on the counter.
"Here is your stretch mark scream. Though I don't know why you even bother. You know I love your stretch marks." Tom said. Then he noticed Sarah.
"Tom…"
"Hey, Sarah."
"What are you doing here?"
"Just in town to sign the papers to sell the mine. I see you've met my wife, Claire." Tom said putting an arm around her shoulders.
"Oh, yes. How long have you guys been married?" Sarah asked as she rang up the items and bagged them.
"About 5 years. We have a daughter on the way in a couple of months." Tom said, tugging Claire closer. She looked up at him and smiled that secret smile at him, the one reserved only for him.
"Well, congratulations. I myself have a husband."
"Yeah, I guess it's not Mercer anymore, is it?"
"It's Palmer now." Tom looked over and saw a picture of Sarah, Axel, and their son.
"It's a mighty fine family you got there. I know I can't to have our little girl here." Tom said looking down at Claire's stomach.
"Well, congrats. So, you're here to sell the mine huh?" Sarah said sliding Claire's card through and having her put in her pin. Once it went through, she handed her the receipt while Tom picked up the case of water and bags, putting them in the cart.
"Yeah, it was supposed to be yesterday, but they moved the signing to Monday. So, we're staying at a motel til then."
"Tom, you do know that mine is what's keeping this town alive? You sell it and this town won't survive." Sarah said. Tom sighed and turned to her, while Claire waited beside him.
"Like I told Ben, it's not my problem. I don't have the intention to stay here. Come Monday, Claire and I are gone. Have a nice day, Sarah. Tell Axel I said hey." With that, Tom turned and led Claire out of the store. Sarah sighed as she leaned against the counter. Well, that went well.
Tom put the bags and case of water into the back of the truck while Claire got up front.
"Well, that went better than I expected." Claire said, making Tom snort out loud.
"Yeah, it really did. I'm surprised you held yourself back from attacking her, Clay." Claire shrugged her shoulders, looking out the window.
"Next time maybe. But, really, she's not worth my time." Tom smiled, taking his hand that was sitting on the console into his and held onto it tightly.
Police Station
Sheriff Axel Palmer had gotten a call from a motel and it turns out Irene had been killed there, her heart cut out and put in a heart candy box. They'd found a tape which had been some kind of sex tape the trucker had done while they were having sex. But what interested him the most was that, when he paused it and zoomed in on the window, he saw Tom Hanniger along with a young woman at his side. They seemed to have stopped in front of the window and almost looking in, laughing. He sighed and rubbed his face in his hands. God, he hoped that damn guy would never return after he left. And just who was the woman with him?
Well, no time like the present to go find out, Axel thought, He probably went and saw Sarah, too. That's seems like a good place to start. Grabbing his coat, he pulled it on and walked to his cruiser, heading to the Mercer's Grocery Store. He walked into the store and saw Sarah at a register and walked up to her. Sarah turned and smiled when she saw Axel.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked.
"I need to talk to you. Now" The urgency in his voice made her nod and they headed to her office, leaving Megan in charge on the store for a bit.
"So, what's up?" Sarah asked taking a seat at the desk.
"Did you hear your old buddy Tom is back in Harmony?" Axel questioned.
"Yeah, he came in the store today."
"What did he want?"
"Stretch mark cream for his wife," Sarah said, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in the chair. Axel took out a picture and showed it to her. "Is this her?" Axel asked.
Sarah looked at the picture and saw in the window Tom and Claire, small smiles on their faces. The smile on his face was one that had never been on his face when he was with her 10 years ago. Clearing her throat, Sarah said, "Yeah, that's her."
"Well, turns out they checked in the same night Irene died."
"What? Irene's dead? How?"
"Her heart was cut out. We found a video camera at the scene that belonged to the victim and got a picture of the killer. A miner."
"And you think it was Tom or Claire? Come on, Axel. Claire's five months pregnant, for one, and besides, Tom is so far gone for her that he wouldn't think about hurting anyone, let alone kill anyone."
"Well, it is a bit suspicious, you have to admit that."
"God, Axel, just let it go. Leave Tom alone. He's actually happy for once. He's married and he has a child on the way. Leave him and Claire alone, got it?" Sarah seethed, glaring at him. Axel stared at Sarah in disbelief.
"Why are you defending him? Is it because of what happened 10 years ago? Huh? You still got a flame for Hannigar?" Axel hissed out.
"No, I'm thinking rationally, unlike you. You know Tom only came to sign those papers to give away the mine. That was the only reason he'd ever return. He wouldn't want to put Claire and his daughter in any type of danger. I know that and deep down, you know that. You just can't get over your irrational dislike for him."
"Sarah-"
"Get out and go back to the station and find yourself a different suspect. Because it sure ain't Tom Hannigar." Sarah spit out coldly. Axel scowled at her before turning on his heel and stomping out of the office. Sarah sighed as she slouched in her chair. She just hoped Tom and Claire got out of town as soon as possible.