Not Here For War.

Chapter 4: Push.

The following two days had been nothing but stressful for Amelia, and it was hardly because of the issue with Tuck and FDR (though that still strongly lingered about in her mind). Today Amelia had to miss her lunch break for a parent-teacher meeting with Abby's Kindergarten teacher.

Miss Robins was younger looking, maybe only a little older than Amelia herself. Her hair was a silky blond and so perfectly straight, swept over her shoulder in a loose pony tail. She dressed in white tennis shoes, casual tan pants, and a light purple blouse. Amelia felt only somewhat uncomfortable in her black sleeveless skater dress and gray heels. She had decided to leave the lab coat in the truck.

"Mrs. Hart, I asked you to come here today because I'm worried about Abby." Miss Robins stated in an overly sweet tone. Amelia didn't bother to correct the teacher on her title. "She hardly ever speaks, even when spoken to. She hasn't even made one friend this year. That's very concerning to see in a five year old girl."

Amelia frowned. "I understand your concern, Miss Robins. Abby's been going through a lot. The therapists say that it's quite normal after a child loses their parents that they want to stick with what and who they know."

Miss Robins nodded but she didn't look exactly cheered over this. "Hmm. Well, I don't find that allowing Abby to seclude herself is helpful to her mental health. I think that there should be a change there."

Amelia's jaw nearly dropped. "I'm… I'm not encouraging Abby to seclude herself. She has therapy sessions once sometimes even twice a week."

"Perhaps more sessions would be helpful?" The teacher suggested, sweet tone and judging eyes.

"I don't think it would be beneficial for a five year old to be spending most of her time in a therapists office."

"Well, she doesn't seem to be spending her time doing much else, Mrs. Hart."

"It's Dr. Hart," Amelia snapped, eyes blazing. "And excuse you, but you have no idea what Abby does outside of school. I understand that there is an issue with her. Trust me, I do. Your mistake is thinking that I'm not doing everything I can without compromising her young mind. I apologize if you feel that what I'm doing for my niece isn't enough for you." She seethed in a calm tone.

Amelia was far from calm, however. She was furious. Furious with this woman and her judgmental suggestions. Furious with herself for not doing enough to help Abby. Furious with the world. She almost wanted to jump over this desk and smack the fake cheeriness from the young teacher's face. Though she had enough mind to know that getting the girls potentially kicked of school wasn't going to be helpful to anyone.

Miss Robins blinked once looking positively shocked. "Mrs—I mean, Dr. Hart, I'm not trying to attack you here. I called you here because I was concerned and I was hoping that we could do something to help poor Abby."

"Don't do that." Amelia grounded out. "Don't call Abby 'poor'. Yes, something extremely tragic happened in her life, but don't say that she's poor because she has me as a replacement parent."

The teacher gawked. "That is not what I mea—"

"Yes. Yes, it was what you meant." Amelia interrupted standing from her seat abruptly and flinging her purse around her shoulder. She planned on making some witty comment, but instead she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Have a good day, Miss Robins."

With that, the doctor hastily left James Monroe Elementary.


The moment she stepped foot back into headquarters, Amelia was very much reminded of another stressor in her life—the Tuck and FDR situation. She had been avoiding the two men like the plague since finding out they were dating the same woman, which surprisingly proved difficult because 1) She had to pass by their office in order to get to hers and 2) Tuck has apparently been looking for her. According to Dr. Rosenburg, Tuck had stopped by Medical asking for her.

The last thing she wanted was to face either man. She didn't know how to face those two men knowing what she knew. She could potentially ruin their friendship and partnership! Dating the same woman could easily destroy what the two agents had. Amelia did not want to be the bearer of that devastating news.

This was not the kind of stress Amelia needed at her place of work, especially after today's meeting with Abby's teacher.

It all had the doctor currently pacing in her office contemplating what type of action she should take. On one hand, she could just ignore it. It's none of my business anyway. She thought, turning on her heel and paced to the other side of the room. But it was going to keep bothering her until she exploded. On the other hand, she could tell one of them what was going on and of course that would bring the possible ending of their friendship/partnership.

Along with the issue she just made with Miss Robins today, Amelia could already feel the massive headache coming. She was thinking far too much on this situation.

She ceased her pacing and grabbed some Aspirins from her desk.

There was suddenly a knock on her door.

"Come in!" She called out, shaking two pills into her palm.

As fate would have it, one of the very people she was avoiding walked into her office.

"Tuck." She acknowledged shocked. She fixed herself quickly and smiled somewhat. "I mean, Agent Hansen. What, uh… what brings you to my office?"

Tuck smiled kindly and he closed the door behind him, stepping further into the office. "Dr. Hart." He acknowledged in return. "I've been trying to talk to you these past few days."

"Oh, have you now?" She asked and did her best to ignore the guilt that was building inside of her.

"Yes. I just wanted to thank you for going along with me on what I've had to tell Lauren. I'm sure that seemed quite strange." He said, his smile turning shy. "I don't really enjoy lying about it, but I don't have much of a choice in the matter. This job… could be a potential danger to my loved ones."

"It's alright. I completely understand." She told him and her smile faltered as that terrible feeling grew in her stomach. "Is… is, um, Lauren a loved one now?"

Tuck blushed and even ducked his head at the question. He looked like a schoolboy with a crush, and Amelia thought it was adorable. "Ah… I'm not so sure yet. I'm hoping so. I really like her."

Amelia gulped. She really didn't want to hear that. It only intensified that dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt so bad and she didn't want to break the news to him. But she had to. She felt that it was the right thing to do.

"Um, Tuck. There's something I have to tell you." She started nervously.

He suddenly looked concerned as he watched her put the Aspirin down on the desk and crossed her arms over her chest. "What is it?"

The more she looked at him, the more Amelia was losing her nerve. Tuck seemed like such a sweet and good man. It hurt her to have to tell him that he and his best friend were with the same woman.

"Um… the other night I saw something…" She trailed off not sure how to continue. Yet Tuck waited patiently, storm colored eyes watching her with soft concern. "I really do hate saying this, but I saw FDR and Lauren together. And they were… kissing… a lot."

Tuck rightfully looked shocked to hear that. "Oh…"

Amelia couldn't stand that crushed look on his face. "Look, he probably doesn't even know that you and Lauren are dating. This is all probably some big misunderstanding." She amends hoping to reassure him in some way.

"No, he knows." Tuck responded much to her disbelief.

"I… excuse me?" She asked very much stumped.

Tucked rubbed the back of his neck, an abashed expressed forming on his face. "FDR know that I am dating Lauren. And I know that he is dating her."

That only caused more confusion on Amelia's part. "Wait… you're both dating—knowingly dating the same woman?"

"Erm… yes."

"Does… does she know?"

"No!" Tuck answered quickly. "No, Lauren has no idea that Frank and I know each other. It's… it's all quite complicated." Amelia said nothing, simply watched him expectantly. It was none of her business, but still she waited for him to explain this confusion to her. "Lauren and I met through a dating website. FDR wanted to watch over the date, instead he waited at a video store down the street from where Lauren and I had our date and then…" He trailed off with a frown and she almost felt sorry for him. Almost. "Um, we've just recently found out that we've been seeing the same woman, and we've decided to let her choose. We have a 'gentlemen's agreement'."

Amelia blinked once. "A gentlemen's agreement? And what does that entail?"

She doesn't know why she asked. She's not so sure she even wanted to know. For someone who wanted to keep things professional, she asked some personal questions.

Tuck wasn't so sure why he decided to tell this all to the doctor. He and FDR had decided to keep this between themselves. But for some reason, he felt that he owed Amelia some explanation.

"The agreement is that we don't know each other, we stay out of each other's way, and… and, um, no sex. Also, if it starts to effect our friendship, we walk away."

Amelia was speechless at first. This was what she had stressed out over these past few days? Over something as silly as two men fighting over a woman?

"That is one of the most disgusting things I have ever heard." She finally said in a clipped tone and she adamantly ignored the shocked expression on Tuck's face.

She wasn't quite sure why she felt so angry at Tuck. None of this was her business. What Tuck, FDR, and their girlfriend Lauren decided to do with their lives was absolutely none of her concern. In the end, she knew that most of her anger wasn't towards Tuck. It was towards her ever growing stress. She was still waking up from migraines in the middle of the night. She knew that she wasn't well and that she hasn't been since her sister passed. Today's meeting with Miss Robins just made it grow. Now this situation was the clincher for her.

"Amelia, I—"

"I think that you should leave my office now, Agent Hansen." She interrupted him and nodded towards the door.

Tuck wanted to say something to defend himself. He kept his mouth firmly shut though, but he stayed in the office for a moment longer. Stormy blue hues bored into dark brown ones, as if trying to speak to her through sight. Even then, she was withering with anger and judgment. He wasn't blind. He saw the dark circles under her eyes she tried to conceal with makeup. He clearly noticed the Aspirin's she was about to take before he came in. She's stressed. Overly stressed, even. He didn't know if it was over her new job with the CIA, something in her personal life, or if it actually was his and FDR's situation. Maybe it was a mixture of all of those things. He knew better than to comment on it now.

Silently, Tuck left Amelia's office and gently closed the door behind him.

Amelia stared at the closed door for a long moment before she sighed deeply and plopped down in her chair. She took the two Aspirin's and popped them into her mouth, swallowing them dryly. She felt like an absolute idiot. She just meddled herself into someone else's business and then completely judged them for it. She didn't approve of what Tuck and FDR were doing with Lauren, and she didn't so much approve of Lauren knowingly dating two men at the same time, but Amelia knew she had no right to do what she just did.

With that now heavy on her mind, Amelia pinched the bridge of her nose and attempted to get some paperwork done.


The LA sky turned dark and the clock vibrantly informed Amelia that her shift has ended and it was time to go home. Eager to get home to Maggie and Abby, she walked quickly to her SUV. Technically Amanda's truck, but it seems what was Amanda's is mine now. She thought sad and bitter.

However, it seemed like her night was hardly over for when she strode over to her truck, she found Tuck leaned against it, waiting for her. She didn't want to know how he knew this was her truck.

"Agent Hansen?" She questioned almost breathless.

"We're both of the clock now, Amelia. You may call me Tuck." He told her with a small smile. She said nothing and smile melted away instantly. "I… I'm afraid I've given you the wrong impression about the sort of person I am."

"Oh?" She inquired with a raised brow. She knew she was being unfair and she hated herself a little more for it.

"Yes. I… I'm not the sort of man who… who shares a woman with my best friend." He told her, looking embarrassed and even desperate. "That is not me. Not at all. I just… this whole thing with Lauren… I truly like her. She is a good woman and I would like a future with her. The issue I've always had in my life was that I never fought for what I wanted. I fought for nearly everything else, but not for what I wanted. That's what I'm doing with Lauren now—I'm fighting for her."

Amelia was silent for a long moment after Tuck's confession. She still wasn't entirely approving of the situation, but she could hardly argue with him. She had completely misjudged Tuck and she had done so completely unfairly. She took her own pent up stress out on him, and she was ashamed of herself for it.

"Tuck," His name was soft on her lips and he looked up to her, pushing himself off of the SUV, "Why are you telling me this?"

He looked thoughtful before he licked his full lips and spoke again. "I… I just don't want you to think I'm that sort of man." He was being earnest and Amelia had to wonder why he cared so much what she thought of him. As if he'd read her mind, he continued, "I want to be your friend."

Amelia opened her mouth to say something, but she found she was at a complete loss for words. It seemed Tuck Hansen was a constant surprise to her.

"I know that you want to keep everything professional." He continued and she assumed FDR passed along that bit. "But I don't think there's anything wrong with having a few friends."

She chewed on her bottom lip lightly. She hardly expected any of this. After what happened today in her office, Amelia half expected him to avoid her and be offended. The very last thing she expected was for him to seek her out and try to redeem himself in her eyes and asking for friendship. This was all something so very new to her.

"Alright." She stated suddenly.

Despite himself, Tuck looked surprised. "Alright?"

Amelia nodded and smiled kindly. "Yes, we can be friends. I think that would be nice."

Tuck smiled happily at that. It may be a little pathetic of him to be this joyed over making a friend, especially considering Lauren. But he couldn't help it. Something warm spread inside of him at her acceptance. It had made him feel near sick at the thought of Amelia seeing him as some sort of… well, as FDR.

"Yes, it does sound nice." He repeated stepping away from her truck and closer to her. Even in the dark, he could make out the redness of her cheeks, she blushing at their proximity. He briefly wondered if he hadn't listened to FDR about Amelia desiring for professionalism—what would be happening right now? Would he have ever put his ad on the dating website? Would he, or FDR for that matter, have ever met Lauren? Does it even matter now?

He snapped out of his thoughts when he realized Amelia was speaking to him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Tuck." She told him almost shyly.

"Yes, see you tomorrow, Amelia. Drive home safe." He said patting her tiny shoulder. Tuck wasn't a tall man, but Amelia Hart practically dwarfed compared to him.

They went their separate ways then, but Tuck watched her drive away until he can no longer see her tail lights as they disappeared in the sea of darkness.


A/N: Okay, so once again, thank you everyone who has reviewed. Seriously, they're very much appreciated and they inspire me to keep going! So in the next few chapters, you'll be learning some more about Amelia's past and her struggles with-well, I don't really want to give too much away. Stay tuned!

Disclaimer: I do not own This Means War or any of it's characters. I only own the OC's that will be seen and mentioned in this fan fiction.

Chapter Song: Push by Matchbox Twenty