Two Harts can make a Home.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.
So sorry for the long wait. It involved a very busy week and then another one without internet so my apologies. Here's a nice long chapter to hopefully make up for it.
George stopped the car in Wade's driveway, taking his time in turning it off and getting out. He sighed as he looked at the house and heard the chatter from inside. This was not a conversation that he wanted to have. Slowly he made his way to the house, climbing up the steps and knocking on the door.
A second later, Tyler opened and smiled at George. "Hey George! What's up?"
George swallowed slightly and said, "Tyler, I need to talk to you, Wade and Zoe. It's really important."
Tyler frowned slightly but let him in. Zoe and Wade were sitting on the couch and they looked over at George and Tyler. One look at George's face told Wade everything.
"Something happened?" Wade asked his friend causing George to nod.
"I just got off the phone with the Hart's lawyers," George said, "You two almost had custody but they found a loophole."
Zoe's hands were shaking so Wade held onto them and they both kept an eye on a shocked Tyler. "The only way we can get custody now is if at least one of Tyler's parents signs custody over to you."
There was a silence in the room after this and George could only wish he had better news. A moment later, Tyler bolted from the room.
"Tyler!" Zoe called after she ran after him.
Both of them deciding to leave them alone, George walked over and sat beside his friend. "I'm so sorry Wade, I tried my best but they've backed me into a corner."
Wade shook his head and replied, "You did the best you could George, it's amazing that you managed to get this much for us."
He was quiet for a moment and then said, "I'll tell you this one thing though; Zoe and I are not losing that kid. Who knows what damage going back to his parents will do to him."
George looked at the determination on his friend's face and smiled slightly.
Wade sighed and ran a hand through his hair before he saw that smile. "What are you grinning at?"
George shrugged and replied, "I can just see what good influence Zoe was on you. And how good you are with her. You two have learned so much from each other; that's why she and I were so unsuited for each other."
Wade gave him a look and George said, "Hey, it's in the past and you're my best friend. There might have been something between me and Zoe if I wasn't so love with Lemon. But to be honest we have too much in common to work out. But you and Zoe? You're different enough to teach other to be better. I mean, a fast talking New Yorker like her and a laid back guy from Alabama? Add the fact that you fight like cat and dog? You two were just begging to be extraordinary."
Wade sat back on the couch with a smile on his face and he said, "Thanks George; thanks for everything."
Outside Tyler was pacing up and down in front of the house with Zoe watching him with concern. He started shaking his head and she listened to his mumblings. "I can't...I can't be around them. I d-don't want...want-t..."
Finally he looked up at her as his breathing started to get heavy and panicked. Zoe hurried to him and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Tyler, honey? Calm down, breath. Breath, honey," she said as she went through the exercises she had previously taught him.
Tyler nodded and his breathing returned to normal. Then he looked at her with a heartbreaking stare and said quietly, "I don't want to leave."
Zoe sighed and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back, and the cousins stood there for a moment in the Alabama sun, both finding themselves wanting to stay in the one place they had once wanted to leave.
Zoe pulled back and looked at her cousin. "This is just a setback," she assured him, "We will sort this out and you will live here with us, ok?"
Tyler swallowed and nodded, her determination helping him.
Wade and George walked out of the house and Wade quickly made his way to them. Wrapping one arm around Zoe and the other around Tyler, he said, "We'll get this sorted out ok? There is no way that you are not living with us. For one thing, if you go, I'll have to lug around those kegs."
Tyler grinned, and Wade placed a hand on the back of his head, giving it a slight pat. Tears were in Zoe's eyes at this stage, her hand clamped onto Tyler's.
Wade sighed and said, "Back when I first met you, I didn't know that you would change my life so much; just like with your cousin here. But now, I am done being lazy and letting this town think that I'm a bum who doesn't care about anything or anyone. I have given up so much because I didn't think I deserved happiness in my life but I am done with that. And you are not following that example."
Tyler glanced at Zoe who was looking at Wade proudly. "We will get custody; it'll take some time but you will live in Bluebell with us."
"And if we don't you can always repeatedly run away to here until you're eighteen," Zoe offered.
George was standing against the rail, a small smile on his face, when his phone rang. He quickly answered it and listened for a few minutes while the other person rambled away on the phone. Wade, Zoe and Tyler watched as George started to get angrier and angrier until he just hung up the phone.
With a sigh her turned to his friends and said, "That was someone from Peter Hart's office...he's sending a car over tomorrow to pick Tyler up."
Tyler groaned and replied, "I've only got one more day here." "You'll be back before you know it," Zoe said.
Wade and Zoe brought George back into Wade's house to talk about their options, so Tyler decided to walk to Rose's to tell her the news. Matt was over at her house so he would tell them together. Plus he knew Zoe and Wade needed so some time together after George left to talk things through. Right now, they knew that they wanted to keep him with them in Bluebell but they just didn't know how.
As he walked down the road, the sun was shining down and there was a cool breeze in the air. He let a hand run through the long grass by the side of road and he savoured every moment. Why had he hated it here? How could he have hated the peace and the beauty?
As he looked around at the clear blue sky and the green fields, he agreed with Wade and Zoe's attitude. He may be headed back to New York, but he returning to Alabama as soon as he could.
He arrived at Rose's house, just in time to see Matt practically run out the door and onto the porch. Rose hurried out after him and slapped Matt on the arm. They both caught sight of Tyler, who was now standing by the steps.
"Ty, I am so glad to see you!" Matt said as he pointed at the girl by his side, "Rose is loudly and violently defensive, of how shy and reserved she is!"
Tyler gave his friends a sad smile and Rose frowned at him. "What's wrong?" she asked and Tyler sighed before replying, "The custody didn't come through; I'm headed back to New York tomorrow."
His two friends stared at him in shock and a moment later Matt managed to stutter, "B-but, you-you...what?"
Tyler hopped up the steps to the porch and replied, "Wade and Zoe are really trying to get custody and they might be able to. Best case scenario, one of my parents signs custody over to them; worst case is that I'm stuck with them for another three years. Either way, this isn't goodbye."
Rose sighed and quickly hugged him while Matt clapped him on the shoulder. "I really don't know what to say," Rose replied sadly.
"That's ok; we're all a bit speechless at the moment," Tyler said.
-Next morning-
Tyler woke up early the next morning, a feeling of dread washing over him when he realised he was leaving. He sat up slightly in the bed, looking over his room.
His clothes were in the closet, his school books piled up on the desk. A baseball bat and mitt were leaning against the wall and the room was ten times fuller and messier, than the first day he saw it. He saw the small suitcase that was thrown on the floor near the closet; his attempts at packing the night before.
With a sigh, Tyler got up and padded out of his room and into the hall. The morning sun was shining through the windows and Tyler looked into Zoe's room. His cousin was asleep on her bed, with Wade beside her, his arm wrapped around her middle. They both seemed to be sleeping soundly and Tyler realised how much he was going to miss them. Wade moved slightly so Tyler walked out of the doorway and onto the porch.
He sat on the porch chair for a few moments, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of a Bluebell morning until Wade walked out of the front door with two glasses of orange juice.
He sat down beside Tyler on another chair and, after handing him a glass, said, "I know this is going to be a pain but it'll only be for a little while. We're all just going to grit our teeth and get through it."
Tyler nodded and looked over at him. "This is all a game to him you know? My father thinks living vicariously through me and moving my life around like a chess piece is one, big game. He loves it; it entertains him."
"Then stop playing by the rules," Wade said, "Stop letting him play a game with your life. If he treats your life like that then he's more childish then I thought he was."
Tyler snorted, "Childish? That's the best description of my father I've ever heard!"
Wade shrugged. "You're better than him Tyler; I know you are."
Tyler took a drink of the juice and smiled at the sweet taste. The orange juice came from the orchard in Mr Wilson's garden. The elder man sold juice in town and nearly everyone bought it. Tyler hadn't drunk juice from a carton in months. It was the little things like this that he would miss.
-That afternoon-
It was the middle of the afternoon and Bluebell square was packed. It was nothing unusual for a Saturday afternoon, except that they were all there to say goodbye to Tyler. His father had said the car would pick him up in the square so that it wouldn't get lost on the way to Zoe's house.
That was another thing that had worried him. Apparently his father had flown in for a meeting in the city and he was going to be in the car, not just the driver.
Tyler was standing near the gazebo, with his small suitcase by his side. Zoe and Wade were near him and people hadn't stopped coming up to him to say goodbye.
It was strange. In a few months, he had met nearly every person in town; and even though he may not know them as well as Rose or Matt, they were still there to show their support.
He glanced down at his suitcase. He hadn't packed much and at an impulse, he had stuffed his backpack into the case as well, the same one that he arrived in Bluebell with.
Suddenly a long, black car appeared around the corner and drove around the square until it stopped near them. With a sigh, Tyler turned to the most important people near him, the ones he had put off saying goodbye too.
"I'll be back in a second," Wade said, suddenly, and he walked off towards the car.
Tyler and Zoe frowned at this but decided to let him go.
Turning to Rose, Tyler smiled sadly at her. "Thanks for the tour all those months ago," he said and Rose grinned.
"Thanks for being a great friend," she replied. Tyler pulled his black hat from the front pocket of his case and placed it on her head. When she looked at him confused, he said, "Maybe you could keep it safe for me until I get back?"
Rose burst into tears at this point and hugged him tightly. Not really wanting to let go of her, Tyler pulled back.
He looked over at Matt, who shrugged at him. "Hey, your father won the game but the season's not over."
Tyler grinned at him and replied, "I think I'm even going to miss your baseball analogies?"
Matt smiled and replied, "Who wouldn't?" The two friends hugged and patted each other on the back before Tyler said goodbye to Lemon, George and Lavon.
Lemon had him in a death grip for a while but George eventually got her to let go. Tyler made sure to thank him for everything he had done.
Turning to Lavon, Tyler smiled sadly at him. Lavon grinned and said, "Lavon Hayes expects you back in time for the next fundraiser; Wade will go crazy if he has to do it by himself."
Tyler grinned at the mayor and even received a hug from him.
Finally he turned to Zoe. She stood there with her arms folded and started to ramble. "Your passport and ticket are in the front pocket. There's a bottle of water and some snacks in there as well. In case you-."
Tyler cut her off by simply stepping forward and hugging her. She hugged him back tightly and he whispered to her, "I love you Zoe."
With a sigh, she replied, "I love you too Tyler."
While this had been going on, Wade made his way to the car. He tapped against the window of the back seat and a moment later it was rolled down to reveal Tyler's father.
They looked nothing alike. Maybe it was the slightly greying hair or the obvious signs of plastic surgery, but Peter Hart seemed nothing like Tyler.
"Can I help you?" he asked, not masking the obvious distaste in his voice.
"Yes," Wade said, "My name is Wade Kinsella; I'm Zoe's boyfriend and I've been looking after Tyler with her."
Peter just shrugged. Wade leaned down and placed one hand on the top of the car. The man was in a car, in a suit, in this weather, for crying out loud!
"I just wanted you to know," Wade said, "That your hold over that kid is gone."
Peter smirked at this. "Whatever little adventure he had here," Peter said, "it is over. He'll return to real life sooner or later."
Wade smirked.
That unnerved Peter. He was used to dealing with board members, yes men and ass kissers; not a smirked blonde man that seemed to not give two cents of he liked him or not.
"That kid," Wade said, "is twice as smart as you and I'm sure that had annoyed you for most of his life. But trust me he will become a great person that treats people with respect and kindness. He will find out what he wants to be in the future but most of all?"
Wade leaned forward and said in a quiet dangerous voice, "He will be twice that man you could ever hope to be; and you will have no part in making him that person. I really hope that scares the shit out of you."
With that he stood up and turned around, just in time to see Tyler and Zoe arrive at this car. Tyler glanced at his father's window, which was being rolled up quite fast.
Zoe pulled his suitcase over to the truck and while she was putting it in, Tyler turned to Wade. "I'll see you around, kid," Wade said, with a grin and Tyler smirked at him.
"I have something for you." With that Wade reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. It was a round, silver pendant that was strung on a thing piece of leather. When Wade handed it to him, Tyler saw that on the pendant were a half moon and three small stars.
"Remember kid," he said, "The moon is always the same."
Tyler let out a half laugh-half sob and he quickly hugged Wade. "Thank you!" he said, "For everything." Wade saw Zoe out of the corner of his eye and he pulled her into the hug.
It was few minutes before Tyler got into the car and shut the door behind him. He ignored his father for a few minutes until the people of Bluebell were out of sight. Finally he leaned back in the seat of the car and face forward.
"Finally, it took you long enough."
Tyler turned to looked at his father, who was sitting beside the window with his briefcase beside him. His computer tablet was sitting on top of the briefcase, on the seat between them. Peter was playing a game of chess on the tablet, tapping the screen now and again.
Tyler's mind went back to the early conversation with Wade that morning but that only gave him a pang of homesickness for Bluebell. His father tapped the screen a few times and started at new game.
"Play chess," he said, "We've a few minutes before we get to the airport."
Tyler frowned at his father but moved a pawn on the board. His father made his move and said, "We couldn't get you back in the school but a friend of mine has offered you a place at his company."
"Ya, that's not happening," Tyler said, tapping the screen, "I'm done with whatever plan you have for me."
Peter snorted and replied, "Really?" He moved another piece. "I'm sure you will reconsider that when I cut you off financially."
Tyler smirked slightly at this and Peter was shocked at the similarity between it and the one that Wade person had given him just a few minutes ago. "Do you really think I haven't planned on that threat?" Tyler asked, "You sent me no money when I was in London. How do you think I lived?"
Peter frowned at him and Tyler made his moved on the chessboard on the screen. "You would be surprised how easy it is to get a trust fund that your parents can't touch," Tyler said, "But you seem to have forgotten how smart I am." Tyler looked at him and said, "Your move."
Peter looked at the screen for a moment and then moved a piece. His cleared his throat and looked forwards as the car moved along the road. "Is this some sort of test? Let me guess; you don't love me anymore?"
He said that last bit in a fake sad tone and Tyler moved a piece across the screen.
Peter moved a piece quickly.
"Oh I know you don't care if I love you or not; what you care about is if I fear and respect you."
Peter was still as Tyler shot him a look that was more piercing than any he had seen.
"I don't fear you anymore and I certainly don't respect you. I reserve respect for people who deserve it. Why don't we both just admit that this custody is just temporary? You'll soon learn that I don't intended to follow your footsteps at all. Plus." With that word Tyler tapped the screen once. Then he looked at his father and said, "You've taken me away in the middle of baseball season. I had a test on Monday, Wade was going to teach me how to fish properly and Zoe was planning on all of us going out to dinner. So, I intended to make the next few weeks as uncomfortable as possible."
Peter was frozen in his seat.
Tyler smirked slightly at him.
"By the way," he said with a nod to the chessboard, "Checkmate."
-Later that day, New York-
It was no surprise that Peter had decided to go straight to the office when they reached New York. Tyler was glad he had unnerved him; happy that he hadn't had a panic attack right there.
But really, Tyler wasn't as scared of his father as he once was. Maybe it was being around people like Wade, George and Lavon. Real men who treated people properly. Now if any of them got angry at him, he would be scared. He would be scared that he had upset them in any way and scared that they would be made at him. But compared to those three, Peter was a little pathetic. Sitting in that car, he looked a lot smaller then Tyler had remembered.
Tyler walked into the clean lobby of his parent's apartment building and quickly made his way to the elevator. The whole place was so clean and neat. The streets outside were just as they always had been, loud and busy. As he leaned against the wall of the elevator with his case by his feet, Tyler sighed. He wanted grass and fields, not skyscrapers and concrete. The elevator dinged too soon for his liking and he walked out of the open doors to the penthouse.
His mother was sat at the dining table, the paper open in front of her. She stood up when she saw him and he prepared himself for whatever throw away comment she would make.
Caroline opened her mouth to speak but stopped when she got a good look at him. "You've gotten taller," she said quietly.
Tyler raised an eyebrow at her. "Teenagers tend to do that."
With that he pulled his case quickly down the hall to what he remembered was his bedroom. The room was practically bare; a few things on the shelves and on the desk that he remembered from a few years ago. He hadn't really been in this room since he was twelve. The bed was neatly made and the sun shone in from the floor to ceiling windows at the far end of the room which had a balcony outside it.
Tyler dropped the case at the door and flopped down on the bed. He looked up at the ceiling and wished he was looking at the ceiling of his room in Bluebell. With a sigh he closed his tiered eyes for a nap.
He just wanted to go home.
-Bluebell-
Wade and Zoe had left the town soon after Tyler had left. Neither one of them said anything; they just sat in Wade's car and drove to the house. Wade had gone to his house to pick up a few things for dinner and when he walked back into Zoe's house, he found her in Tyler's room, folding some clothes.
"Zoe?" he said carefully as he walked into the room.
She looked at him with tear filled eyes and said, "He's going to need these when he gets back. You know what's he's like; I'll send him to school in clean clothes and he comes back with mud caked on his jeans and rips in his shirts. It's from Matt and him playing baseball after school and probably from going with Rose to the river. I just don't know-."
She stopped when Wade put a hand on her shoulder.
"I know, honey, I know," he said softly and she let out a sob. He pulled her to his chest as she cried and a few tears escaped his own eyes. After a few minutes of nearly hysterically crying, Zoe pulled back to look at him.
"I-I feel like there's a part of me missing. Like someone just pulled a piece of me away," she said through her tears.
Wade nodded and took her face in his hands. "We will get him back; I promise you Zoe. I promise." Zoe nodded and hugged him again.
That night, they gladly accepted Lavon's offer to cook dinner for them at his place. The three friends ate in near complete silence and after wards, when Zoe and Wade fell asleep on the couch, Lavon placed a blanket over them and like the rest of Bluebell that night, could only hope that everything would turn out alright.
-Next day, New York-
Caroline stared at Tyler from the dining room table. He was stretched out on the couch in the living room, watching TV.
The living room opened out to the dining room, where she was sat, eating lunch. The kitchen was behind them with a hallway leading to the bedrooms and bathrooms to her left. The penthouse was decorated like anything other upscale apartment and there were fresh flowers in a vase on the dining table. Tyler had refused lunch and just sat watching TV.
He was so tall.
The last time she saw him, he was barely five foot. He was now reached about six foot and his blonde hair was sticking up all over the place with some stubborn wisps floating in front of his forehead. He was also really tanned. His skin had a healthy glow to it and all around, he was a handsome, fit young man. And that had all happened without her.
He hadn't been hostile towards her; he had just treated her with indifference. Earlier that morning, Peter had tried to get him to go to work at his friend's company but Tyler had laughed at him. Peter had gone off to work in a huff and Caroline was stuck in the house with Tyler.
As she pushed herself up from the table, she thought she should at least make some effort to talk to him. She walked over to couch and sat on the armchair beside it. With a sigh, that Tyler paid no attention to, Caroline said, "It's lovely day; it's nice to get some warm weather."
At this, Tyler looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Are you kidding?" he said, "It's freezing outside."
Caroline frowned and replied, "Well, plenty of people think it's quite hot today."
Tyler shook his head and replied, "ya well, this is New York. I'm used to Alabama hot."
At this Caroline noticed that he was wearing a jumper while she- as well as most people outside- was just wearing thin shirts.
"I suppose Alabama is very different to here."
With a sigh, Tyler placed his legs down on the ground in front of the couch and leaned his elbows on his knees. "Let's take a minute to cut the crap and answer me one question. Why did you want to keep custody so much?"
Caroline just looked at him and he said again, "Why did you want to keep custody so much? I'm not going to work at any of your companies or any of your friend's companies. I am done following whatever plan you have for me. So why?"
Caroline had no real answer to that. It was because...because... "Because we could," she blurted out quietly.
Tyler nodded at this and stood up. He walked towards his room and didn't turn back. Caroline jumped slightly when she heard the door shut. He didn't even bang it, he just shut it.
As if he wasn't angry. As if he had already know her answer.
-Later-
It was late at night and Peter was stuck at the office. Tyler hadn't come out of his room all day and Caroline hadn't gone near it. But she wanted to check on his before she went to bed.
She walked up to the door and knocked. There was no answer, so she opened the door. Tyler was not in the room, he was actually out on the balcony. Caroline quietly made her way over to him and saw that he was on the phone to someone.
"Ya, I'm fine, CZ. I've been staying in my room most of the time."
Oh so it was Zoe.
"Yes, I've been eating...and sleeping. Ok then, well tell Matt and Rose that I miss them ok? Yup, bye."
Instead of hanging up the phone, Zoe handed it over to another person because Tyler said again, "Hey Wade. I'm holding it together."
Caroline saw him put his hand up to touch the necklace around his neck. He hadn't taken it off since he had arrived. Tyler listened to this Wade for a few minutes and then said, "New York's not so bad. Except..." Tyler sighed slightly and said, "The skyscrapers block out the moon; I can't see it."
Caroline was shocked to see tears well up in his eyes and Tyler quickly said, "I've got to go; I need to get to bed."
Caroline took a few steps back into the room and she heard Tyler say, "Yup, ok. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
With that he hung up and let out a shuddered breath. He brushed away the tears that were on his cheeks and he pressed his hands to his eyes.
Caroline quickly hurried out of the room. She didn't know how to comfort him; she didn't even know how to talk to him. She didn't get to sleep; she just walked up and down her room.
It was about an hour later that she dared go into Tyler's room again. He was asleep in bed, facing away from her. His laptop was open on bedside table and when Caroline walked to the other side of the bed; she saw that there was a pair of head phone connected into it. Tyler had them in his ears and was fast asleep.
As gently as she could, she took the head phones off his ears. He moved slightly in his sleep and a few moments later, Caroline lifted the head phones to her own ears. She couldn't hear anything. The noise from the city was blocked out but there was silence in the head phone.
She listened for a moment longer and suddenly she heard something. The gentle breeze in the trees, the soft lapping of water on the shore. She could even hear some insects in the background. Tyler had recorded the sounds of Bluebell at night to help him sleep.
With a sigh Caroline, took off the head phones and turned off the laptop. She quietly made her way out of Tyler's room and shut the door. As she made her way to her own room, she knew that she had a lot of thinking to do.