Hey guys! Kinda short chapter but hope you enjoy it :) Update will be soon don't worry :D Thanks to all my readers and reviewers. Also just on a side note if anyone has watched 'The Take' it's a mini series Tom Hardy starred in and there's no category for it here so it's under misc TV shows so it's kinda impossible to find so if anyone is looking for 'The Take' fanfiction I have written one so check it out if you're so inclined :) Thanks guys!

-Sailor

I sat for the rest of the day watching Sparta…well actually I tell a lie. I sat in the chair, Tommy running through my mind while Sparta was just background noise. Then I decided to switch the station, but just to sports news to see what else was going in other sports but Sparta was breaking news, except it wasn't about any fight. A soldier appeared and I only caught the end when he said "he saved my life, me and everyone else in that tank…" Then a very blurry armature video appeared of a solider literally pulling the door off a sinking tank, it was Tommy. I turned the TV up full volume just in case I missed something.

"So there you have it, Tommy Riordan, the war hero! Another line to the rich tapestry that is Tommy Riordan!" exclaimed the presenter. "The man literally pulled a door off a tank!"

I couldn't believe it. The video stopped just as it zoomed in on Tommy pulling the soldiers out. He looked different…he looked like the guy who called me the other night, lost.

My knee shook, I went totally numb and a feeling I have never had before taking over me. I wasn't even listening to what was going on and then before it even registered with me I was picking up my house phone from the hallway and dialling the number for the hotel the fighters were staying at. Tommy really was a complex man of many layers and as much as I hated to admit to myself I had definitely fallen for him, even if he didn't feel the same way.

"Hello Round Hall Hotel, how may I help you?"

"I'm trying to get in contact with someone, could you connect me to the Riordan's room?"

"I'm sorry what did you say your name was?"

"Erika I'm Tommy's…niece" I said clenching my eyes avoiding the obvious answer to that.

"Ok…I have no Riordan's…" she said suddenly more suspicious of my obviously false family connection.

"O it might under my a different name…Conlon"

"Ok…I have two Conlon's. Paddy and Brendan…which is it you wanted to be connected to?"

I suppose there's no point contacting his brother I doubt he'd be with him.

"Eh Paddy, thanks"

The line went silent and then the ring startled me slightly. After a few rings I was going to hang up when a raspy voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello is that Paddy?"

"Yes…who's this?"

"This is Erika you know Tommy's friend from the gym?"

"O yes Erika, how are you? How's your mother?"

"We're good thanks, listen is Tommy there?" I said not really wanting to get into small talk with his dad.

"No he's not" he sighed. "He's in the casino…it's like I don't know him anymore…he's a different boy…" he said. He sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

I honestly didn't know what to say to be honest, what do you say?

"Mr Conlon I really need to talk to Tommy" I choked out.

"I know but God knows when he'll be back, what's so urgent about it?"

"Well he rang me the other night and he didn't say anything just said he was out on the beach and then he hung up I tried to ring him back but nothing…"

"O…" he said taking a different tone. "That would have been when he met up with his brother"

"What?" I said my throat suddenly going dry. Why would he call me after talking to his brother, he never even mentioned he had a brother to me.

"Yea they had words…I apologised to both of them but they were having none of it. Don't think they can forgive their old pop to be honest"

"Mr Conlon, I need to speak to him" I said not accepting the fact I wasn't able to talk to him. I don't even know what I would say but I figured I would know it when I heard his voice.

"I know that kid but he's not here…I'm going to go and see him in the Casino do you want me to give him a message?"

I thought for a moment. "No there's no message, thanks Mr Conlon" I said before hanging up.

Ok clearly something in the universe was there to keep me and Tommy apart. I went into the kitchen and sat down my mother jabbering about something.

"Ma…Tommy is a war hero" I said cutting across her. I could barely believe it myself.

"What?"

"He was in the marines…he saw a tank sinking with soldiers trapped inside and he pulled the door off and saved him"

"Wow…so he is a good one after all" she smirked.

"Ma…I need to talk to him but he's not in his hotel room…"

"When's his next fight?"

"Tomorrow"

"What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know…I don't even know what I'm feeling right now"

"You've realised Tommy is everything that you've ever wanted and you're scared in case he doesn't feel the same way"

"Well…what if he doesn't? I mean he rang me the other night, babbled something and then hung up"

"What did he ring for?"

"I don't know, his dad said it just after he had words with his brother…he sounded upset"

"So he has a family crisis and out of everyone he rings you…does that sound odd to you?" she smiled.

"I don't know…" I mumbled. She would just be insufferable if she knew she was right.

"Why don't you go out to him?"

"What?"

"Go out to Atlantic City and see him!" she urged.

"No, I won't be doing that"

"Why?"

"Because first of all I can't afford it"

"I'll pay for it!"

"No Ma…"

"Erika, this is one of the only times I will push you to take my money but I seriously think you need to talk to Tommy. He's a complex man and you need to tell him clearly"

"Ma, he'll probably just laugh right in my face"

"He won't! And he needs you now more than ever especially with all that business with his brother. He needs support, he needs you at the edge of that ring cheering him on he's got no one!"

"I don't…"

"And he's so lovely and sweet" she added in just at the end.

"I can't go to Atlantic City…"

"Yes you can!" she said reaching into her purse that lay on the window sill, plucking out her credit card.