"Hey Tommy," Kim said as she picked up the phone a couple of hours later and heard him let out a sigh. "How bad were they?"
"They aren't bad kids, Kim. They're just kids and Austin seems to have about twice the normal amount of energy, but he's a sweet kid," Tommy said as Kim smiled. She could tell that Tommy was already taken by the kids, but he had always liked kids, so it didn't surprise her. It was just in his nature to take care of people that needed it.
"I'm so sorry about what he said," Kim said as Tommy chuckled.
"He had already asked why I wasn't their dad," Tommy said as Kim sat there in horrified shock. "He needs a dad, Kim and he's just trying to figure it all out. It's got to be hard for a three year old."
"Yeah, it's been pretty rough on them. Austin cried for Jeremy the first three nights that he wasn't there, Jessie really hasn't said anything about it," Kim said as she noticed the silence. "What's going on with Jess?"
"Kim, I'm not sure, to be honest. She just seems like she's afraid to get to know people," Tommy said as Kim looked down at the floor as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Jeremy scared away a lot of her friends and their parents weren't exactly too happy when they found out he was abusive. Of course the most they ever did was say that their kids couldn't see her anymore. She's a really sweet girl, but she's had it rough Tommy and I don't think I realized how bad it was until she said that she was happy to move to California, then she would have friends," Kim all but sobbed as Tommy sat on his bed in astonishment. "I'm such a horrible mother."
"No, Kim, you're not. These kids love you to death and yeah, Jeremy hasn't been the greatest father, but they have you," Tommy said as he heard what sounded like a door being broken down. "What was that?"
"Shit," Kim muttered as she rolled off her bed and under it. "He must have gotten the motion for my having sole custody. Stay on the phone, okay?"
"Okay," Tommy said as he heard things being thrown around and eventually heard Kim let out a shriek as she dropped the phone. "No…"
"Jeremy, let me go," Kim said as she looked up at him as he pinned her against the wall.
"You are trying to take my kids away from me!" Jeremy yelled as he slapped her to the floor and she landed there and let out a groan as she pushed herself back up. Most nights she didn't fight back, it was easier that way, but tonight she felt different. She was tired of getting run over and she knew that it was time to make a stand.
"You don't deserve them and I won't let you turn Austin into a monster!" Kim yelled as he lunged for her again and she kneed him in the stomach.
In the mean time Tommy had run downstairs and was opening the hatch in his kitchen. He could hear it getting worse and he had a feeling in his stomach that this might be the time that Jeremy actually killed her. She had told him that he usually left her alone after he hit her, but tonight seemed much different. He had punched in the teleportation code before he knew what he was doing and the pressed his 'watch' and soon found himself standing in Kim's living room.
"Where are they?" Jeremy roared as Kim looked up at him with defiance. She was not going to tell him where they were, no matter what. She was not going to give him an opportunity to go and do anything to them.
"Hey asshole, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Tommy asked as he appeared in the door frame and they both looked back at him. He was pissed and Kim could see it in his eyes. She had known that if Tommy ever heard it, he probably wouldn't be able to stand it, that's why she hadn't called him before. She didn't want for Jeremy to be physically injured.
"Leave, this is none of your business Tommy," Jeremy said as he grabbed Kim by the throat and held her against the wall. That was when something inside of Tommy snapped and he had crossed the room in a few steps and had Jeremy on the ground before he knew what had happened.
"Get out," Tommy said as he stood between the two of them and glared as Jeremy.
"This is my house and she's my wife. So you are the one that needs to get out," Jeremy said as Tommy squared his shoulders to him and crossed his arms.
"I'd like to see you try," Tommy said as Jeremy aimed a punch at his head, which Tommy caught and then flipped him over. "Now, I will only say this one more time, get out."
"It's my house," Jeremy said as Tommy looked back at Kim for a moment.
"You might want to call the ambulance," Tommy said as Kim just stared at him as Jeremy kneed him and Tommy then slung him across the room. "And the police."
"Okay," Kim said as she reached for the phone as Jeremy stood up and charged towards Kim, but Tommy grabbed him and quickly had him pinned against the wall. "Yes I would like to report a civil disturbance at 1900 West Pine."
"Do we need to send only the police?" the man asked as watched Jeremy slam Tommy against the wall and Tommy then quietly pried his arm away before throwing him to the ground.
"An ambulance as well please," Kim said as Jeremy pulled out a knife and Tommy froze for a moment as he thought of the best way to the knife away from him.
"Please stay on the phone until one unit arrives," the man said as Kim turned around and saw Jeremy with a knife across Tommy's throat and she dropped the phone.
"Don't Jeremy, don't kill him," Kim said as she faintly heard the operator say ma'am, but ignored it. She could not lose Tommy, he was the one man that she had always been able to depend on.
"Where are my kids?" Jeremy asked as Tommy slowly moved his hand towards Jeremy's arm. He knew that he would only have one chance to get out of this and he must wait for the opportune moment.
"I sent them to California," Kim said, honestly, as Jeremy loosened the grip on his knife and Tommy then took the chance to quickly snatch away his arm and pin the man to the ground. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, no worse for wear," Tommy said as Jeremy struggled to stand up as Tommy sat on him. "You're not going anywhere until the police arrive. Got that?"
"You son of a bitch!" Jeremy yelled as Tommy dug his foot into his side. "He's the one you're leaving me for?"
"No, I'm leaving you because of you, not because of any other man," Kim said as she heard the siren and went to the front door, which to her dismay was torn off the hinges.
"Ma'am we were called for a civil disturbance," Officer Williams said as Kim nodded for him to follow her. "Will you be pressing charges?"
"Yes," Kim said as they walked through her home to the bedroom, where Tommy still had Jeremy firmly pinned to the floor. "My husband already has a restraining order that states he cannot come within five hundred feet of me or our children."
"Which one is your husband?" Officer Williams asked as Jeremy again struggled to stand up and Tommy pressed his face against the floor.
"The one having his face pushed into the floor," Kim said as Officer Williams nodded. He had figured as much, but he just wanted to make sure.
"I'll take him from here," Officer Williams said as he cuffed him and Tommy then stood up. "I am going to need to get a testimony from the both of you."
"You may want to take him to the hospital first," Tommy said as he could tell that his left shoulder had somehow popped out of place.
"I assume that would be the ambulance?" Officer Williams asked as the sirens pulled up outside the house and the medics ran for the front door. "I'll take care of it and then I'll come back to get your testimony."
"The son of a bitch stole my wife!" Jeremy yelled as Tommy let out a sigh and then looked down at Kim, who looked close to the verge of tears.
"Come here," Tommy whispered as she looked over at him and then walked over and threw her arms around him.
"Thank you," Kim whispered as he gently rubbed her back and then gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I thought he was going to kill me."
"So did I," Tommy whispered back as she just clung to him.
"Who's with the kids?" Kim whispered as Tommy gave her a guilty look. "Tommy…"
"I'm sure they're fine, they were both wiped out by the time I got them down," Tommy said as Kim nodded and Officer Williams walked back into the room and let out a soft cough, which caused them both to look over at him.
"Now, Mrs. Wallace, would you please describe what happened," Officer Williams said as Kim looked up at Tommy and he just shrugged his shoulders.
"I was on the phone with my mother and I heard what sounded like a door being broke down. I rolled under the bed, hoping that whoever it was would just want to ransack the house and leave me alone. Jeremy found me and pulled me out from under the bed. He then started asking about where are kids were and why was I taking them away from him. He hit me a couple of times and then Tommy came out of the bathroom and saw him."
"I kinda lost it, I don't really remember what I did, all I know was that I had him sitting on the floor by the end of it," Tommy said as Kim just shook her head. She knew that Tommy really had held himself back, whether that was a conscious decision, she was not sure.
"Jeremy held a knife to his throat and somehow you got away and put him on the floor, that was where you came in," Kim said as Officer Williams barely nodded.
"Now Tommy, why are you here? According to Mr. Wallace you live in California," Officer Williams said as Tommy nodded. He had to think quickly or he was going to be in a pile of shit. It was a good thing that he was an experienced liar and had had to convince more people than he could count that nothing had happened, he just happened to go missing every time a monster attacked, but it could all be explained away by Juice Bar or the park or whatever place he was not at that no one would ask about.
"I was just visiting some family in New Jersey, so I thought I'd come down and visit for a day," Tommy said as Officer Williams nodded.
"Mrs. Wallace, we are going to put you up in a hotel for the night while we try to determine if there was any other reason for this attack. We would be more than happy to let you stay with her Mr. Oliver," Officer Williams said as Tommy nodded. "I will call back in a few days, to see how things are going. How long will you be staying?"
"I fly out in the morning," Tommy said as Officer Williams nodded.
"Well thank you any ways, now if the two of you will follow me to the Holiday Inn, I'd like to get you set up for the night," Officer Williams said as Kim grabbed her cell phone and purse before being ushered out of the house by Tommy.