Chapter 10

Jack Hunter really wasn't sure what he'd expected to find when he walked into the McDonald's Shawn had sent him to, but he realized that pretty much anything would've startled him less than what he stumbled upon. Coming up the sidewalk beside the restaurant, he saw the girl whose picture Shawn had sent him, and his heart flew into his throat with nerves. Then he had to do a double take when he saw who she was sitting with.

"No way," he breathed aloud as his heart backtracked to slide all the way down to his toes. "Rachel!"

He hadn't seen her in over fourteen years, and yet here she was, with the girl who was supposedly his daughter! What the heck was going on?! There was only one way to find out…

He took a deep and let it out slowly as he forced himself to go into the restaurant and start towards the table where Maya and Rachel were sitting. He froze suddenly, a few feet away with Rachel's back to him so that he remained unnoticed as Maya ranted at Rachel about something. Because surely he'd heard that wrong…

But no, Maya was still hissing, "He hurts you, he beats you – and your son – and you're willing to stay?! I don't get it!"

"You're too young to understand," Rachel murmured, and even from where he stood, Jack could tell that she was trying her best not to cry. "He's got real money stashed away somewhere, away from Lucas and me. If we leave, it ruins his reputation back in Texas, so he won't let us even if we try. The power's all in his court right now and it's too dangerous for Lucas and me to leave. He'll come after us, find us, and that would make things worse than ever!" Rachel shook her head helplessly, admitting, "We're stuck, and I admire you for wanting to help, but there's nothing that can change things."

An idea flared in his mind and Jack was moving again towards their table and speaking before he even registered it. "Maybe there is."

Rachel flew up and around in one movement, half screaming, "Ja-"

"John," Jack interrupted quickly. "My name is John."

He could deal with the Maya situation in a minute, but at the moment he had to make sure that Rachel was safe. The two of them had been through too much together – he still cared for her too much – to not put her first.

Rachel paused and stared at him for a beat before she remembered Maya's presence and introduced them, "Maya, this is my friend from college. John Pennbrook. John, this is my son's classmate, Maya Hart."

Jack swallowed around the lump in his throat as he looked down at the blonde and offered her his hand to shake with a small smile. "Nice to meet you, Maya."

"You too," she muttered as she shook his hand, obviously still distracted by the conversation that she'd been having with Rachel.

That was fine by him. He dragged a chair from the next table over and sat as Rachel reclaimed her seat. Then he asked, "So, you're married now, Rach?"

She winced – they hadn't broken up on the best of terms and even now he wondered if she knew how much her leaving him for her Texan ex had hurt him – but nodded.

"Hopefully not for long," Maya muttered under her breath, so that he barely caught the words.

Jack frowned as he asked Rachel seriously, "Did I hear her right a second ago? Is your husband abusive?"

Rachel flinched again before she glanced at Maya and remained stubbornly silent.

So Maya answered for her. "Yes!"

"Listen, J-ohn," Rachel spoke up, and then paused for a long moment. "When I left you- Before we broke up, my ex-boyfriend from Texas showed up… and we hooked up. I got pregnant, and I felt like I didn't really have a choice – I couldn't go back to you after what I'd done to us – so I married my son's father."

Even after all these years, that still felt like a punch in the gut to Jack, but now, at least, he could add it to the list of things that he could think through later. Right now he just wanted to make sure that Rachel wasn't going to be hurt anymore!

"Good, that's great, good for you, Rachel," he said quickly, brushing off the back-story for now to get to the real point. "If he is hurting you, you – we – do have connections to get you out."

"Who?" Rachel snorted, her eyes filled with hopelessness.

"Are you registered as a resident of the state of New York?"

"Yes."

The corner of Jack's mouth tilted upwards. "Then the state senator, for one. And Topanga is a brilliant lawyer! If you tell her you want to separate from your husband and why she'll have divorce papers and a restraining order for you in record time. You have to know that!"

"Lucas and I wouldn't have anywhere to go! That's why I have that crummy job at the bookstore – behind my husband's back, so that I can have my own money, and find my own way out!"

"But you already have a way out, a support network that very literally stretches into Canada and wherever the heck Angela's at this week! If you need a place to stay, you can come home with me, if you want to."

"Money's no object either," Maya added, as if she'd suddenly thought of something. "He's right. I've been trying to keep this away from anyone else, but if you're willing to tell the right people what's going on, I have a friend who'sfilthy rich, and I'm sure he could help you get whatever you need."

Jack sat back in his chair and gestured at Maya. "See! We can get you and your son away, Rachel! Just let us help you!"

Rachel looked between him and Maya with tears gathering in her eyes while they waited with baited breath for her verdict. "Alright." She nodded, a wide smile slowly taking over her expression. "Alright, I'll get a divorce."