Take Me Anywhere

Summary: It's been two years since Cook left Manchester, still on the run from the law and as desperate as ever to disappear. Everything was simple until he met her; Tess was the definition of the word mayhem. Can he survive in her world or can he pull her into his?

XI: Gone

His head was spinning from all the booze he had drank and fragments of the night before started to replay in his head. One moment that he couldn't stop thinking about was Tess' face as she walked into the snooker hall and then the way he chased her down. He looked over at her half of the bed and touched the empty sheets with a sigh. He had no idea what he was going to say to try to get himself out of her bad books; but he knew that he would promise her the world… He would even change his stance on kids if it meant having her back. It didn't seem like it, but she was the only one that kept him calm; before her his anger was much worse. He was so destructive, and he knew that himself. Luke decided that it was time to face the world, he had to make things right with Tess.

He sat outside her apartment for a while, staring up at her window with a frown. He broke his promise to her and he knew that it would take a lot of work to make things right. For the first time in a while, he felt nervous. He bit the bullet and got out of the car and made his way up the flights of stairs slowly, pausing briefly in front of her door. He was hesitating, his fist was hovering at the door. First, he knocked and left it for a few moments but then he pounded at the door.

"Tess, open up. You've got to talk to me about this, we can't just throw everything away." He pressed his ear to the door. He heard nothing. He banged on the door one more time and said, "If I have to kick this door down, I will. You can't just blow me out, T." he took a step back and readied himself. In one sharp kick, he had the cheap door off its hinges. He stepped into the apartment and looked around. There was no sign of her and when he investigated her drawers, they were cleaned out. The panic set in; he knew she was gone but he didn't want to admit it. It wasn't until he felt something under his shoe and saw the engagement ring under his foot that he let his emotions swallow him whole. He rushed out and pressed his face against Cook's window, noticing how there was no movement at his place either. Then he looked for his car, but it was gone too. He ran his hands down his cold face and paced back and forth; Cook had won, he had her and Luke had no idea how he was going to get her back. He needed to find her, but he had no idea where to start. She would have to answer the phone to him, he wouldn't stop calling until she did.

The drive was long, but they were almost at Newcastle. Cook glanced at Tess in his rear-view mirror, smiling at her as she slept in the back of his taxi. She only woke when the phone in her pocket buzzed obnoxiously loud. Tess sat up and looked at her phone before making eye contact with Cook in the reflection.

"It's him, isn't it?"

She nodded and put her phone down, face down against the seat. "I'm never speaking to him again. He's just going to try and weasel his way back into my life." She stared out the window, letting her anxiousness out with a deep breath. "Can we get something to eat before we get to my dad's house?"

"Of course." He drove around until he found a little café at the side of a service station. He parked the car and got out, waiting for Tess to leave as well but it was like she was frozen. He knocked lightly on her window and raised a brow at her.

She rolled down the window and said lowly. "I just remembered how my face looks; I'm still bruised from Frankie's punch. What if someone thinks you did this? What if they call the police?"

"You worry far too much, people just like to stare and speculate, no one will call the police." When she still wouldn't get out of the car, he placed his hands in his pockets and glanced at the café. "What do you want, and I'll get it to go."

Tess smiled a little and reached into her purse, handing him some money. "Sausage rolls and don't forget the brown sauce."

He took the crisp note warily and nodded. "Stay in the car, I'll be back in a minute."

Tess threw herself along the back seat of the taxi and stared up at the roof as her phone continued to buzz underneath her. She didn't regret running away with Cook by any means, but she needed that closure from Luke; she needed to let her own anger out, it would only be fair. She had been taking took the brunt of Luke's anger when he grabbed her. So, she went against what she had said herself and answered the phone.

"You finally answered!" he sounded so relieved but so hurt at the same time. "Where are you? I'll come get you and we can sort this mess out, T. I'm so sorry for what I did, I should never have put my hands on you." There was a long silence, but he could hear her heavy breathing. Was she crying or just furious at him? "Please answer me, T."

"We're over so don't try to win me back because it's not going to work."

"Is Cook there? Is he telling you to say this?"

"No, this is me telling you, from my peace of mind that we are done. With everything that you've done to me and the people I care about, did you think that I would just let you talk your way back into my life? I am free of you, just move on with your life and take anger management classes so you can be a better dad to Michael."

"Do you really think that I'm just going to let you live your life without me? You need me."

She sniggered cynically and sat up, watching Cook as he strolled over to the taxi. "Goodbye Luke." She turned her phone off and placed it into her pocket, smiling as the smell of her sausage rolls trickled into the car.

Tess climbed into the front seat of the taxi as she sucked the brown sauce from her fingertips. She glanced at Cook as he looked at her with a disgusted look. She dropped herself onto the seat and shrugged her shoulders at him and shook the crumbs from her jumper.

"What?"

"I hope you didn't stain the fabric with your sticky fingers. And you've got crumbs all over the floor." He said as he shook his head, inspecting by her feet with a disapproving tone.

"I'll clean it when we get to my dad's, don't throw a fit." She couldn't help but smile at him as she gripped his chin playfully. "Please don't be mad at me."

He raised a brow at her, glancing down at her hand on his face. "I'm glad to see you in a good mood, finally."

"I feel free although I have to admit that I answered the phone to Luke, but I told him it was finished between us." She put on her seatbelt and looked away from her friend. "You're probably going to shout at me, telling me I shouldn't have answered because it's going to piss him off, but I needed to get everything off my chest so that I can move on."

"If you're happy, then I can't really complain." He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"I'm starting to feel like myself again, and I don't mean the girl that I was when I was with him, but the Tess that used to make you dinners and watch shitty gameshows."

He glanced at her, catching the way she was smiling, and it made him feel relief. He had been worried about how she was feeling; part of him was scared that she would beg him to take her back to Luke or that she would be crying for weeks straight, but this was better. He could tell by the glisten that returned to her eyes that she was experiencing freedom for the first time in a year. Tess wasn't going to be manipulated and controlled anymore.

He parked outside the semi-detached house that Gerard and his family lived in, in a quiet area just outside Newcastle city; he knew he had the right house because his Range Rover was parked right by the door. While Tess approached the door, Cook lifted their belongings out of the boot. He was waiting for them and before Tess could even knock, Gerard had the door opened and had swept her into a comforting embrace. Cook slowed his pace down to let them have their moment together; he wasn't going to get in between a worried father and his daughter.

"Please tell me he didn't do this to you." Gerard whispered in his daughter's ear. He had no idea about what happened between Luke and Tess, but he had his suspicions that he hurt her, Cook had confessed about the bruises he saw a year ago and his worry kept him awake most nights. Especially since her overdose.

"No, although I can't say he was exactly gentle with me." He looked up at her dad with a small, sheepish smile. "But it's over now and that's all that matters."

"For good?"

"Forever." She said powerfully, glancing over at Cook. "I'm sure you're pleased to see your buddy."

"Of course," he stepped away from Tess and took one of the bags from Cook's grasp and replaced the empty space with his hand, shaking Cook's approvingly, "I can't thank you enough for getting Tess out of that shithole."

Cook looked at Tess with a teasing smile. "It only took a year of convincing."

"I'm stubborn, what can I say?" she stepped into the house and was greeted by her half-sister. She picked up the toddler and gave her a comforting hug. "Missed you Sammy."

Gerard watched for a brief moment and ushered Cook into his home. "Miranda's out at the shops with her mother, since I told her you were coming, she's been so excited. She said something about girly bonding."

Tess made a face while her back was turned and patted down Samantha's messy hair. "Looking forward to it. So, where are Cook and I sleeping?"

"I've had a room waiting for you, just in case you decided to escape London. The two of you can sleep in there."

She turned around and raised a brow at her father and then to Cook. "In the same room? You know we aren't together, right?"

"If you were together, you definitely wouldn't be in the same room. Besides, there's two single beds there."

"Well, I'll go put our bags in our room, then." Cook flashed Tess a teasing smile as he dragged both of their bags up the stairs. He paused at the top of the stairs, eavesdropping on the conversation he missed the start of.

"Why not, Tess? He's a good lad and he'd treat you right. Unlike that other asshole."

"I love him, and I know there was a time that he loved me too, but a lot happened between us, we fell out, he saw the bad side of me and I messed him around, I just fucked with his emotions when I shouldn't have… I don't know if he feels the same way." Cook heard her sigh and furrowed his brows as he tried to catch a peek at the expression on her face from the landing. "I just can't jump straight into another relationship, I don't want to ruin things with Cook."

"Everything can be fixed, the two of you have been friends for a while and the chemistry is there. If there was anyone that would get my seal of approval, it's him. I know that you would be in safe hands with him, he's been looking out for you since day one and I just want to let you know that just in case something happens. I want you to be happy, I need to see you smile again."

"I love you dad," he watched her put an arm around Gerard and rest her head on his shoulder before handing her sister over to him, "I'll go up and help Cook unpack."

He quickly moved into their room and put his bag on the bed he claimed for himself. When she walked into the room, she smiled at him and closed the door over.

"I thought I'd give you the bed with the drawers beside it." He said with a shrug as he unzipped his bag.

"Leave that, I'll unpack for you. I'm sure you're exhausted after all that driving." She sat on the bed and regarded him with a concerned look on her face.

"I'm alright, Tess. You're forgetting that my body's all messed up from working through the night. I don't really get a lot of sleep." He started to take out his clothes, folding them as best he could. He heard her get up from the bed and when she pushed him out of the way, he laughed. "What're you doing?"

"You're folding them all wrong." She looked up at him with a teasing smirk. "I'll do this, just please try to get some sleep." Tess took the rest of his things away from his bed and made a start on his bag.

He kicked off his shoes and took off his T-shirt, throwing it at her head before he climbed into bed. "Could you fold that while you're at it?"

She looked over her shoulder at him and raised a brow. "You would wear that again without washing it? Seriously?"

"Yeah, it smells alright."

Tess shook her head and threw it into the empty laundry basket. "Definitely not, Cook."

"And just like that, you're right back to looking after me." He closed his eyes and put his arms behind his head; Tess was right, he needed to get some rest.

"I'll always look after you." When he didn't reply, she turned to see that he was out like a light. Tess tiptoed over to him and placed a delicate kiss on his forehead before making her way out of the room quietly. She appreciated everything he did for her, he was putting himself at risk by being here with her. The least she could do was give him a bit of peace.

He woke up alone in the strange room, but he could hear Tess' voice downstairs and the smell of spaghetti filled the house. He got out of bed slowly and looked around for a T-shirt to put on. He inspected the drawers noticing how neatly she put his clothes away, it was a shame that he would have it messed up within a day; Cook had always been messy. When he was changed, he made his way downstairs and followed the noise that the Donovan's made. In the reflection of one of the china cabinets, he noticed how normal things looked; Miranda served them all the spaghetti she prepared while Tess kept her little sister entertained. They all froze when Cook walked into the room, he still looked worn out.

"Cook, glad to see you're joining us for dinner." Gerard said, he looked at his wife. "This is the fella I was telling you about."

Miranda looked at him with a pleased look on her face. "Lovely to meet you, I'm Miranda."

Cook glanced at Tess as she rolled her eyes a little, he didn't really understand why she wasn't keen on Miranda, but he liked her. "Nice to meet you too." He sat across from Tess and kicked her playfully under the table. Her smirk made him hide his cheeky smile as her parents looked between them.

"Are you hungry?" Miranda made her way around the table to him.

"I'm starving."

"Do you like spaghetti?"

"Cook eats everything." Tess answered for him as she started to twirl her fork in the pasta. "I haven't saw him turn anything down yet."

"You'll be an easy mouth to feed then." Miranda joked as she filled his plate.

"So, where are the two of you planning on going once you leave here?" Gerard asked as Miranda finally sat down to her own meal. He could tell that his question had taken Tess by surprise because she almost choked on her dinner.

"I wasn't planning on leaving here for a while." She admitted.

"You're not out of the woods just yet, Tess." He informed her. "How long do you think it'll take Luke to realise that you're here?"

Cook's eyes roamed to her as she ran her fingers through her hair, gripping at the root. He hadn't really thought about it either, he was going to go wherever she wanted to go.

"Call it naivety, but I didn't think he'd come looking for me." She sighed and looked up at Cook. "Have you any ideas?"

"I'll have to give it a think."

"I don't want you to get mad at me, but when I came home after meeting Luke, I knew things weren't going to end well between the two of you so, I started making a few preparations." Gerard pushed his plate back and rested his elbows on the table. "I've some money set aside for you and a car to get you somewhere far away from London. He'll find the taxi if you keep driving it."

"You shouldn't have, dad."

"I had to do something. The money can go to rent until the two of you find jobs." Her father's tone changed as he tried to find the best way to break his news to his daughter. "I was going to tell you sooner, but with everything that was going on with you, I couldn't find the right time."

"What is it?" she looked at her father first then looked at Miranda as she ducked her head. "Spit it out."

"We're moving to Spain. I've got a new job, a better job over there. I would've got the two of you tickets if I had of known sooner."

She nodded and tried not to show how bothered she was by his news. Tess knew that her father had a new family and that she was old enough to look after herself; she just didn't like the idea of her father being in a different country.

"When do you leave?"

"Two weeks."

"What's going to happen to this house?"

"We sold it privately. They're going to take everything. I wanted to tell you Tess, I just never had the perfect chance."

She nodded and looked away from him. Tess could feel Cook's sympathetic gaze on her. "I understand, I was a mess when you came to visit. I've been a mess for a year. I hope you enjoy Spain, Cook and I will look after each other." She looked at him and met his eyes. "Won't we?"

"Always." He replied.

"Stay here for a couple of days and lay low. I'll get rid of the taxi and get my mate to bring round the new car. It's nothing fancy, it's old but reliable. It can't be traced to any of us."

Cook wondered how Gerard was able to sort all of this out for them, but then he remembered that he was ex-military; he probably had contacts everywhere.

"We appreciate it, Gerard. Thank you."

Tess tipped her head back and excused herself from the table. Cook watched her as she rushed out of the room, she was letting her emotions get the better of her and she was overthinking things. He needed to make sure she was okay, that she wasn't having second thoughts about this. He wanted her to stay alive.