Thank you for the reviews! You guys are awesome and I love the support this story is getting :) Now onto chapter 10, where the drama thickens!

Disclaimer: I don't own.

Kol tried his best to ignore the biting cold as he waited outside of Katherine's school. He was determined to see his daughter and get back into her good graces and if Katherine was willing to have him back, then perhaps Tyler would come around as well. His ex-lover had every right to hate him but Kol planned to change that. He stuck his hand in his pocket and rubbed his fingers over the small velvet box; he should have done this sooner, when he and Tyler were going strong, but he didn't have the money to buy the right ring. But since he started working for Richard Lockwood, he'd been making nearly triple what he was before and was able to buy an even better ring; the perfect ring for the perfect man.

He had been foolish in choosing Harper over someone he had a wonderful life with; Tyler had been his rock, his support system when things at the firm in Queens were going downhill and when the social workers were giving them hell for wanting to adopt a little girl and he had selfishly repaid him by falling into bed with his secretary. The pressure of work and the fights at home became too much for him and when Harper had offered him her shoulder, he started something he couldn't stop. He wasn't looking for love or a replacement, just an escape from the disappointments his life seemed to constantly throw at him.

It wasn't that he didn't love Tyler, because he did; the man meant everything to him and so did Katherine, but he had felt lost when he and Tyler were constantly fighting. He felt his world crash around him and he didn't know what to do to save it. Harper had been there in his time of need and now he realized that she was nothing more than a distraction from what he already had. Then there was Mr. Lockwood's constant disapproval and that didn't make things any better. Since he went to him for help the man had become like a second father to him and since they were so close now, he was hoping to persuade him to let him marry his son. He may not like it but he was also the best lawyer at his firm and he had a feeling the man would rather suffer through a gay wedding than loose his hardest worker.

He sighed and checked his watch; he should have been back at the office an hour ago but he wanted to see his daughter desperately. His missed the bundle of sunshine that was Katherine Pierce, the way she would light up when she saw him, the way she would run and hug him when he came home from work. And Tyler,his smile, his laugh, his voice, the way he would cry out when Kol was inside of him. He shivered; they would get back there soon enough. Right now he needed to focus on his daughter.

A bell rang in the distance signaling the end of school and not a minute later, kids were running from classrooms out to the playground. Kol watched like a hawk for any sign of Katherine and became dejected when he didn't see her. Maybe she's still inside he hoped and he made his way to the first building.

The school was very clean and pristine; the white, marble floors looked as if they were just waxed, his reflection visible, the cream-colored walls looked freshly painted with not a scratch on them and the benches scattered throughout the hallway were unscratched and new. Kol would have never guessed this was the building where the elementary school children were taught but considering how much people paid per month for their children to attend Hillmark, he could see how everything looked so fresh. He walked down the hall, his footsteps echoing in the corridor as he looked into each classroom with a window, hoping to find his daughter. He eventually reached the end and looked into the last room. He smiled when he saw his daughter with her friends, his smile disappearing when he saw the man Tyler was seeing sitting across from them.

Kol dropped his hand from the door handle and took a step back. What the hell was he doing here? Did Tyler have him picking up Katherine from school now, they were that serious? He clenched his jaw as he watched the man laughing; who the hell was this guy? He looked like a wimp and Tyler deserved someone who could be the rock that he was for others; this man looked fragile and soft. Definitely not someone he thought Tyler would go for.

He scowled as he heard their laughter through the door; he needed to find out everything about this man. He wanted to know who he was, what he did and what right he had to his child and his man. He would not be replaced by this loser.

He watched them for a few more moments before realizing that they hadn't made a motion to leave and didn't look like they were planning on leaving for some time. He watched Jeremy open one of the drawers and pull out three packs of something, handing them to the girls. Then it hit Kol—he's her teacher! He grinned as the man pulled out a stack of papers and confirmed his suspicions. He turned and quickly walked back down the hall; he was sure Mr. Lockwood would not be happy with this. All he needed was a name.

He exited the building and quickly identified the office. He made his way to it and opened the heavy door hurriedly, not bothering to look at the pictures of the faculty and staff that lined the walls. He entered an office where a pretty blonde was sitting and typing away at a desk; she looked up when she heard him and he smiled winningly, "Hello, I'm thinking about enrolling my daughter in school here; she'll be going into second grade and I was wondering if I could get the name of the teacher so I could talk to them…?"

"Oh of course!" she said perkily and Kol smiled gratefully. She typed a few items in before turning back to him. "Oh, his name is Jeremy Gilbert and he's new this year. Great teacher, very popular with the students and he's such a sweetheart. I think you'll like him, it's hard not to!"

Kol kept the fake smile plastered to his face while he mentally rolled his eyes at her; she made him sound like a cute puppy. "Thank you ma'am." He nodded at her and left the building, the smile morphing into a smirk.

"Jeremy Gilbert," Kol laughed; this was all too easy! He walked quickly back to the street while dialing a number on his cellphone. He would have Tyler back in no time.

"Did Tyler tell you what happened?" Jeremy asked Caroline while sitting outside on the playground as they watched Katherine, Anna and Pearl play with some of the other children who were waiting for their parents. She turned to him shaking her head. "Something about Kol but he didn't want to repeat the whole story with Katherine right there."

"He showed up at the door—with a bouquet—and practically begged Tyler to take him back."

She scoffed, "He's an idiot if he thinks he's going to get anywhere with Tyler. He doesn't take that shit from people. I'm surprised he keeps doing this, this is the third time he'll have shown up with flowers."

Jeremy frowned, "Third time?"

"He didn't tell you? Kol came around weeks ago and waited 'til Tyler got home to talk to him. He told Tyler he wanted to come home and Tyler told him to shove it and that he wasn't giving him another chance. He came back twice, each time with bouquet but Tyler didn't even answer the door."

"I…I didn't know that," Jeremy said quietly, wondering if he should be concerned about this Kol situation. Even though Tyler wanted nothing to do with him the man was proving to be a persistent bastard. Caroline put her hand on his back reassuringly.

"He didn't want to worry you; he doesn't plan on taking him back, he's made that very clear to me and to Kol," she gave a light laugh. "Really Jeremy, you have nothing to worry about; he's all about you."

"He's Katherine's father," he sighed running a hand through his hair. "What right does Tyler really have to keep the man from his child?"

"A lot if Katherine doesn't want to see him," she sighed. "She was so upset when he left, Jere. I thought the kid would never smile again and Tyler…until he met you I thought he would have a permanent frown on his face and his stutter…it came back twice as much as before. Haven't you noticed his stutter has become less noticeable?"

"I…I never really notice it, actually," Jeremy said honestly and it was true; Tyler often told him that many people were put off by the stutter but Jeremy didn't understand how. Tyler was funny and intelligent; why should it matter how he said the words when what he was saying was more important? He shook his head; people could be so judgmental. "I didn't even know he had a speech therapist until my cousin walked in on us and I found out it was her."

Caroline laughed loudly and quickly stopped. "Walked in on you…you guys had sex?"

Jeremy flushed and looked down, cringing slightly as Caroline gave her signature squeal, "She didn't walk in on us having sex—"

"But you guys have had sex; I bet it was that weekend I had Katherine and you met Tyler's mom! I knew he looked a lot happier…he's practically been grinning from ear to ear since then!" Caroline laughed and Jeremy blushed even brighter. "So was it good?"

"What—I'm not discussing my private life with children around!" Jeremy said indignantly but couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. Truth be told, they had stayed in bed the whole weekend, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Caroline looked at him expectantly and he looked around before leaning in to her and lowering his voice, "It was really good…it was incredible."

She grinned like the Cheshire Cat, "Tyler works hard at his job so it makes sense he brings that passion into the bedroom," she laughed at the look he gave her. "Okay, okay I won't talk about it anymore. You told me more than he has; he would never tell me anything about his and Kol's sex life and it was only after they split did he tell me what the man's kinks were."

"Well I won't be sharing that information with you…ever. If we ever break up, then he can tell you," Jeremy said firmly and she nodded, laughing. "Fair enough…though I don't ever see that happening so I guess I'll just have to wonder."

He smiled, hoping she was right; he didn't know what he would do without Tyler. The man had become everything to him and while it was scary, he loved him too much to really care.

"A teacher? His standards have lowered," Richard Lockwood scoffed as he looked through Jeremy's background. "He's taught at Princeton Academy and Fulton…these are good schools."

Kol frowned, "He's only 23 and he's taught that much already?"

"Must be a great asset…or he's been fired multiple times but I highly doubt it. Looks like he's never done anything illegal…no drugs…graduated magna cum laude…lives in a nice area, though his salary leaves much to be desired," Richard gave Kol a sharp look. "Why am I looking at this?"

"I just…I wanted," he sighed and took a deep breath, hand brushing over the box in his pocket. He opened it slightly and felt comforted by the cool, metal band inside. "Don't you think it's…inappropriate for Tyler to be seeing his daughter's school teacher?"

"What Tyler does with his…lovers is none of my business…or yours," Richard eyed him suspiciously.

Kol clenched his fists, "Just look at who Tyler is; he's high up in rank at Starbucks, he's next up to be president of the company and this guy is only a teacher. Isn't it…convenient that he would happen to teach his daughter and then they start dating a little after that?"

Richard sighed, "Last I heard she was your daughter as well. Look Kol, I don't know what you're trying to get at here but if you're trying to get back into Tyler's good graces leave me out of it. I don't want any part of it."

"Your last name," he pressed, "has been in the news multiple times. Everyone knows defense lawyer Richard Lockwood is one of the best in the state—in the country. How convenient that, after the whole Winston trial was all over the news that he just shows up at Hillmark where your son's daughter goes to school?"

Richard stared at Kol, deciding on whether or not to believe him. Kol did have a good point; it was rather convenient. Even though he made sure to keep Tyler's name and everything about his son's life out of the press there were still ways of finding that information. He looked at the picture again; he found it difficult to believe that someone like this Jeremy Gilbert would go through the trouble of trying to scheme something. He found it harder to believe, however, that he was really interested in his son. He was over ten years younger than him and why the hell would he want to be with a man who already had a child, not to mention a speech problem? Tyler was a handful for anyone, his daughter made it worse, and Richard couldn't see someone as young as Jeremy putting up with that unless it was for money.

"Thank you Kol…I'll take care of it," he said as he closed the laptop. Kol smiled nervously but didn't move. "Is there something else you needed?

Kol knew what he wanted to ask but he found himself shaking his head instead, "Nope, that was all." He turned and left the office, cursing internally for not being more of a man and asking for his permission to marry Tyler. He took a deep breath and walked down the hall to his office; at least one thing was taken care of. He could ask him another time.

Jeremy laughed out loud at the picture Tyler sent him of the three pink dogs he'd seen on the way to work this morning. He shook his head and texted back quickly, grinning widely. He placed the stack of stories he had his students write on his desk, prepared to read them when he returned from getting a snack in the teacher's lounge; they were spoiled at Hillmark and were provided with snacks like organic fruits, salads and small sandwiches that looked expensive. He turned as he heard the door open and saw a man wearing an expensive looking suit come in and shut the door. His expression was blank but Jeremy could see he wasn't here about one of his kids. His heart sank as he figured out who he was from a picture Tyler showed him.

"Can I help you?" he asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice.

The man looked around the room, his expression one of disdain, before looking Jeremy up and down. His lip curled even more and he sneered, "His standards have certainly lowered. Though I shouldn't be surprised; he must be desperate if he thought you were the best he could do."

Jeremy stared at him in wide-eyed shock and his hands, unwillingly, started to shake. "I—"

"Let's cut to the chase, you know who I am," he gave Jeremy a cruel look, "how much?"

Jeremy blinked, confused, "W-What?"

"How much will it take for you to leave Tyler alone?"

The teacher's heart pounded, "I…I'm not sure what you're—"

"Don't pull that innocent act with me, it won't work," Richard snapped harshly. "I know people like you, Mr. Gilbert, I know what your endgame is and I can tell you it won't work with my son. Not as long as I'm here."

"Mr. Lockwood," Jeremy murmured softly licking his lips, "I don't understand—"

"Stay the hell away from my son you gold-digging tramp. I know what you're trying to do and I won't let you take advantage of him," he barked at the slightly trembling man. "You think that because you teach his daughter and he got you into his bed that you're entitled to some money don't you? That teacher's salary isn't paying enough so you had to find someone to support you, didn't you?"

Jeremy blinked rapidly, his mind going into overdrive as he took in what this man was saying. How could he demean his and Tyler's relationship like that when he didn't even know him? From the sounds of it he, didn't know his own son either.

"I don't know why you're under the impression that I'm with Tyler for his money," he said softly, "but I can assure you that isn't true at all. I…I'm in love with your son. I don't want his money; I've never been after his money. I would never take advantage of him like that, not after everything's he's been through."

Mr. Lockwood glared hard at him for another moment. "Prepare to pack up your office Mr. Gilbert. You'll be out of here by the end of the week," he slammed the door on his way out, a stunned Jeremy watching him go.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Once he was back in his office, Mr. Lockwood slammed the door and threw his briefcase on his desk. He quickly flipped open the laptop and began typing letters into the search engine until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out his cellphone and dialed the number, fingers tapping impatiently on his desk. He would put an end to this nonsense and find Tyler a good woman to marry; he would be damned if some little boy tried to worm anymore money out of his son.

"Hillmark Academy, how may we help you?"

"Hello, I would like to file a complaint against my child's teacher, Jeremy Gilbert. I just found out he is romantically involved with one of his student's parents."

The confrontation with Mr. Lockwood had left Jeremy visibly shaken as he sat in the teacher's lounge playing around with his salad. How did he even find out? What was going to happen now? And the even more pressing question: how was this going to affect his career? He bit his lip as his stomach swirled nauseatingly; he couldn't tell Tyler about this. He would blame the whole thing on himself and would possibly end their relationship. A lump grew in his throat at the thought of not being with Tyler; he didn't know what he would do.

"Jeremy? You okay, Hun?" Abbey, the assistant principal asked him. He forced a smile on his face and nodded. Abbey had such a motherly nature, always looking out for him.

"I'm fine, just tired. It's been a long week," he lied, laughing for good measure hoping he convinced her. She smiled in return, "Well if there's anything you want to talk about, I'm here, okay Hun? Take it easy."

"I will," he said softly and this time the smile he gave her was genuine. She nodded at him and walked out the lounge. He sighed and sat back in his chair, covering his face with his hands. He wouldn't do anything now—there wasn't anything for him to do except to wait and see if Mr. Lockwood would make good on his threat. He had a feeling he would since he didn't plan on ending his relationship with Tyler anytime soon. He swallowed heavily and stood, throwing the nearly full carton of salad away before heading back to his classroom, hoping to make it through the rest of the day as calmly as possible.

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