A/n: this chapter has not been edited to the point where I would like it to be, my editor is still ill but I feel like I have made you wait long enough for this, please enjoy.

Kira sat in the back of the classroom doing her best to hide her face from Tommy. She had barely escaped him when she came in, but she figured she would have to face him eventually. She just wanted to do so on her own terms, not his.

Kira was, honestly, still reeling from the night's events; her mother had gotten drunk before, but that night was the worst. She had come home plastered, and in a rage, she was looking for a fight, but Kira wanted no part of that. She tried to avoid her mom, but that only seemed to make things worse. Her mother had gotten in her face over something normally considered trivial, and before Kira could comprehend what was happening punched her in the face blackening her left eye and leaving a bruise on her cheek.

Kira's math teacher Mrs. Sanchez was a very observant woman, and noticed that Kira was not acting like her usual self, but she decided not to bring it up in front of the class. Instead she walked over to Kira's desk and placed a small note on the desk requesting that she stay after class.

Kira looked at the note and felt her stomach drop to the floor. She had expected this from Tommy, but not from Mrs. Sanchez. Then she remembered Tommy was still sick and not at the top of his game.

Class ended and Kira dutifully stayed in her seat until everyone had left before going to the teacher's desk while still trying to hide her bruised face, but knowing that now she was failing miserably.

"Kira…what happened to your face?" Mrs. Sanchez sounded shocked, and Kira wasn't surprised, she knew it looked bad.

"I… I can't say." She replied, edging towards the door worried about what would happen if the truth came out.

"Kira, please, tell me, I can't do anything if you don't tell me what happened." Claudia Sanchez was growing more concerned by the moment. She had no idea about Kira's home life, but she had the idea that Kira was struck by a parent or someone that she feared.

"I really can't say, she…" Kira trailed off, realizing what she was about to say.

"Kira, if this is someone in your family I will do everything in my power to protect you." Claudia said. "But I need to know what happened"

Claudia stood and placed a hand on Kira's shoulder, "Is there anyone that you want here? Anyone that would make you feel more comfortable saying what happened?"

Claudia was grasping at straws now and she knew it, but she had to get the answers from Kira.

"Dr. Oliver, he's my science teacher." She blurted without even thinking. She tried to stop herself, but the words were already out of her mouth. She did feel more comfortable and confident around Tommy, as she knew he would protect her. She also knew she would have to tell him eventually, so she might as well get it over with now.

"Doctor Thomas Oliver?" Claudia asked making sure she had the right teacher, even though there was only one teacher named Oliver in the entire school.

"Yes, that's him."

Claudia called the front office, and within a few minutes, Tommy arrived in the room looking very worried. That look turned to one of shock then anger in seconds when he got his first really good look at Kira's face.

"Kira, what happened?" he asked, practically every sinus infection symptom forgotten, trumped by the gut clenching reality he didn't want to believe was true. Someone had struck Kira, and hard by the look of it. Her face was bruised, her eye blackened and Tommy felt sick in an entirely different way. He was sure her mother was involved in this, but by this point needed her reply. He bit his lip, he had never wanted to be more wrong in his life.

Kira sighed, tears falling down her cheeks.

"My mom came home completely wasted last night…" she said her voice shaky. "… we got into an argument as usual, only… only this time she hit me."

Claudia was stunned and she noticed that Tommy looked furious and Claudia had a bad feeling that he knew more than he let on about Kira's home life.

Tommy felt like someone had dropped a bolder in his stomach. In this situation, he hated being right with a passion he couldn't even express. He hadn't wanted this for Kira; she deserved so much better than what life had thrown at her.

"You knew, didn't you?" Claudia asked him. She had seen the emotions that had flashed through Tommy's dark eyes, and she was quickly realizing that Tommy really cared about his students, about Kira.

"When I saw that bruise I had a good idea, but I was hoping I was wrong." Tommy sighed as he gave Kira's shoulder a gentle squeeze. It was the most comforting gesture he dared act out on school grounds. He had embraced her before, but never on campus and this evening would be no exception. She'd need the comfort of an embrace; of knowing he wasn't going anywhere. He could tell she already knew they had to call CPS, and maybe it was best they did for her sake.

Kira was in tears for various reasons; one of which was the sheer relief of getting all of that off her chest to the first man she had ever completely trusted. She had initially found trusting Tommy to be difficult, but quickly realized he was different from any other man she had ever dealt with. He didn't back down when times got rough. The few times she tried to push him away; he didn't let her, as he knew she needed someone to support her, even if he didn't always know why. Eventually she found that it was too tiring to keep the walls up against someone that was just as stubborn as she was. She also learned when she finally decided to confide in Tommy that he would keep her secrets and step up to help her and support her emotionally when she needed it.

The next few hours were a whirlwind of telling and retelling her story and explaining that her mother often drank, but this was the first time she had gotten violent with her daughter.

Kira was exhausted when the ordeal was finally over, but Tommy was worried because he had no idea where Kira would end up; it had become abundantly clear she would not be allowed to go home.

"The foster homes that take girls her age are full, and I really don't want to put a 17 year old girl in an orphanage." The social worker, Paige Mathews, sighed to the sheriff. She was running low on options and it was getting late. She looked to Kira, who had nodded off on a small loveseat in the sheriff's the office and a sympathetic officer had come along and draped an emergency blanket over her. It was becoming apparent that Kira hadn't slept well the night before and with the story she told, no one present could blame her. Then she noticed Tommy who sat near Kira, she had noticed him staying extremely close to Kira through this entire process and supporting her as best he could.

Tommy had overheard the dilemma Paige had on her hands, and as he looked at Kira, he began to consider the options Paige had on her plate. Each seemed worse than the last until he knew what had to be done.

"I'll take her in." He said his tone even, but his face said it all. This was his child in every way that mattered, and he'd do what he had to in order to insure her safety and wellbeing.

Claudia looked Tommy over. She wasn't familiar with the science teacher, but the way he had reacted to what happened to Kira and had since handled the situation, and his having volunteered to be her advocate where the police were concerned made Claudia wonder about him; about what he felt about this young girl. This answered her questions about him: he cared deeply for her but there was no need to worry that care was familial, she was like a daughter or younger sister that needed his protection and support.

Paige seemed to look through her paperwork.

"Dr. Oliver, from what I see here, you seem to have a definite relationship with Kira she really does trust you more than I might have a teacher when I was her age, but I never saw anything like what she has. She needed someone to be her supporter and I can definitely see where you've filled that role in her life, and what she saw in you that makes her feel like she can turn to you for anything. I will have to check, but at this point, looking at what information I have I don't see any reason why that I wouldn't be allowed to house her with you." Paige said "To be honest, that is the best option I've heard. She's in a vulnerable place emotionally and needs someone who not only knows her best interest, but is willing to stand up for her."

Paige stepped out of the room, apparently going to check with her supervisor and those who could make the ruling that she could or couldn't stay with Tommy.

Tommy sat back in his chair with a huff of breath; his sinuses were protesting now more than they had in days, reminding him that he had missed his medication for the infection. That was just perfect.

"Are you okay?" a voice asked. It was the teacher that had finally been able call Kira out on her injury and helped him get her talking, Claudia.

"It's nothing." He replied.

Claudia gave him a glare that read she clearly didn't believe that.

"I have a sinus infection, I'm fine."

Claudia winced but decided it was best to change the subject as they left the room to let Kira sleep.

"You really care about her, don't you?"

"From the first day I knew she was different, I had no way of knowing what went on at home, but I knew there had to be a reason she kept so much so close to her chest. She never spoke of her father or really of her family at all. Then after a while of getting to know her, talking to her and showing her that I cared about her as a person, she opened up to me and told me her father had walked out when she was about 7 years old and that she and her mom had issues. She has called me on several occasions when her mother got drunk and obnoxious and she needed someone sane and sober to talk with. Her mom doesn't care about her music she hasn't been to a single one of her concerts at Hayley's Cyberspace, and I've only missed one and that was due to circumstances beyond my control." Tommy leaned back against the wall.

"You saw that she needed someone and stepped up to be that someone, you're a rare man, Dr. Oliver."

"Please, call me Tommy."

"Tommy," Claudia smiled slightly. "I've actually heard about you from a lot of the students, you seem to make an impression on them. The world needs more teachers like you."

They looked up as Paige came over to them with the verdict.

To Be Continued…

*Hides behind Tommy* Please don't throw things I know the cliffhanger is evil I will try to post the next chapter as soon as possible.