See You The Battlefield

Chapter Ten: Family Business

Courtney tensed, and she didn't un-tense as far as Duncan could see. Not when she appointed him in charge of putting the robots back and not when she announced to him that she needed to find something more suitable to wear to dinner. She quickly left the training area through a door he hadn't seen there, leaving Duncan alone. He hasn't seen her so panicky since the night he had found out she was Kelly Cole.

Somehow the young man managed to get the two robots back by himself, sneaking in a quick admiration of Con for the last time. Courtney's did as she said and met him in her office, though not without leaving him waiting for an extra ten minutes. She was dressed in a navy summer dress, showing off her curves and flashing skin in all the right places.

Duncan cleared his throat and she stopped chomping on her nail. He tried to get her attention back to him, but Courtney was worked up about something that he couldn't quite understand. Whoever this Daniel person was, Courtney clearly had a negative effect to him.

"You look okay," she mumbled, running her hands down the front of his t-shirt. It was one of his nicer ones, a simple plain black shirt. He always sported dark washed jeans that Courtney scanned her eyes over. His sneakers were a bit ratty, but that didn't bother her so much. "Yeah, you look okay." But her voice was distant. Duncan grabbed hold of her shoulders, running friendly hands down over her forearms. He tried looking her in the eyes, but she was now chewing on her bottom lip. He ran his finger along her mouth, unclenching her two front teeth before they could draw blood.

"What's wrong?" He asked, genuine concern in his voice. If she hadn't been such a nervous wreck Courtney would have accused him of going soft on her.

"You'll see," she replied, grabbing his hand in hers and tugging him towards another part of the house he hadn't seen before. He was quite glad that he had Courtney to guide him, otherwise Duncan would never find the exit- and he feared he may need one after this family dinner.

Courtney stopped outside a pair of large, oak doors. They looked more carefully polished than the rest of the house, or maybe just not as worn. The young girl smoothed out her companions shirt once again, her trebling hands then doing the same to her own dress; anything to stall time. Courtney knew she couldn't put this off forever, but the moment she pushed her way into the dining room, Duncan hot on her trail, she wished she had run in the opposite direction.

"Baby sis!" An all too familiar voice called to her. She found the owner stood in the corner by the built in bar, no doubt refilling his wine glass. "Long time no see," he cracked a wide grin at her amusement.

"Hello, Daniel," she curtly replied. Courtney ushered Duncan over to the opposite side of the table. She took place to the right of her father who sat at the head of the table, and Duncan took place to her right. Daniel found himself situated opposite Duncan, much to both of their dismay. As soon as they'd locked eyes there was an uncertain air passed between them. Duncan was shocked to find just how much Daniel looked like Courtney. They shared all the same facial features, which they had both inherited from their mother (who sat opposite her daughter, to her husband's left). They shared the same brown hair that didn't hold a curl to its name. The only real difference other than gender was that Courtney had inherited her mother's darker skin, while Daniel's wasn't as tanned.

"How did the training go?" Mr. Beaumont questioned his daughter as the five sat in uncomfortable silence, waiting for their food to arrive.

"It went well," Courtney quietly replied, her eyes not leaving her brother. Duncan sensed the thick atmosphere surrounding the family, but didn't say anything out of turn. He didn't say anything at all; he let Courtney do all the talking. "I think we're going to be very well prepared for all of the upcoming matches."

"You two working together now?" Daniel questioned, his shifty eyes moving between the two teenagers, trying to decipher what was going on between them. Courtney glared at her brother, but neither parent scolded them for it. "You don't go messing with my baby sister, alright?"

"Daniel," Courtney hissed through clenched teeth, her hand unconsciously slipping into Duncan's.

"I don't intend to," Duncan replied coolly, unfazed by the 'big brother' act Daniel was putting on. He squeezed Courtney's hand.

"You hurt her, make her cry, force into anything she doesn't want to do," Daniel made a slicing movement with his hand across his throat. "You're a dead man." The younger male raised an eyebrow at the strange threat. Daniel was definitely built for fighting, but he didn't seem to know so much about the talking aspect. Duncan suspected he wasn't as big of a man as he made out to be, but he kept his lips button tightly just in case he said something out of line.

"Daniel, that is enough," Mrs Beaumont spoke up for the first time. Duncan was surprised to find she had a thick Spanish accent. "Leave the poor boy alone, he has done nothing wrong and is taking good care of your sister."

"Thank you, Mama," Courtney mumbled. Duncan suspected if she had been a few years younger it would have been followed by a stick out of the tongue to her brother.

It was almost a relief when dinner showed up. It wasn't as elegant as Duncan had been expecting, even though it had been brought in by staff (which Duncan had never experienced before). He still felt out of place, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Courtney curled her long fingers around his knee without drawing attention to either of them. Duncan felt reassured.

Mr. Beaumont sat at the head of the table, watching his family bicker amongst themselves. He didn't get involved or intervene in the arguments between his two children. Duncan found it strange behavior that he let his son talk without punishment, especially the words he was saying. It was mostly Mrs. Beaumont who warmed her son that he was treading in dangerous water by trying to anger his sister and her new business partner.

The meal couldn't finish fast enough. It was an obvious fact to everyone that no one wanted to be there, so the second the plates were cleared Courtney excused herself and Duncan. She dragged him from the dining room and out to the court yard where they had started their day. They sat in the back to the truck and Courtney couldn't stop apologizing for her family's behavior.

"I am so sorry for my brother and his asshole behavior."

"I knew it was a mistake."

"As soon as he said Daniel was here I knew I should have just told you to leave."

I am so sorry my brother said all of those things to you."

"I know you have good intentions."

"Why are you rolling your eyes at me?"

"Stop laughing!"

Duncan couldn't hide his grin and Courtney rushed through her words. He may not have overly enjoyed dinner, but he certainly wasn't regretting it. It had been such a long time since he had sat down for a family meal that he had almost forgotten all of the baggage that came with it. There was always someone with something to say. Arguments were easily erupted. But Duncan missed it.

Courtney fell forward her forehead resting into Duncan's shoulder. He was sitting on the workbench again. He didn't know how to respond to Courtney's sudden change in demeanor and was tempted to wrap his arms around her in a hug. Instead Duncan settled for lightly patting her back. Slowly she raised her head back up, her eyes searching the truck for a change of topic. Her eyes rested on the picture by the door. It had caught her eye the first time she had been in the truck, but she had never really stopped to look at it.

"That's your father?" She asked and she could see Duncan nod from her peripheral vision. "And your grandfather?" He nodded again. Courtney walked forward and ran her fingers over the ratty picture. Compared to the rest of the truck it was in pretty good condition, but it was certainly weathered in the worst way. This was Joe and Parker Wilson. Joe Wilson was a very familiar name to Courtney. He had won so many championships and league matches. He was a celebrity in the world of robot boxing. She had never known what he looked like, never bothered to search. His reign was long before her time. Parker Wilson wasn't a name she was familiar with, but judging by the way her father recognized his son, he must have been as great as his own father. "Why do you live alone in your truck?" The question had been on her mind for as long as she had known Duncan now.

Instead of answering, Duncan replied with his own question. "Can I take you somewhere?" To Duncan this was a slow decent into trusting Courtney. She was his sort-of friend and he wanted to see how much he could tell her without giving it all away. Not even Gwen or DJ knew too much about what happened to Duncan's family. Everyone was too afraid to ask him.

Courtney didn't bother telling her family where she was going, they'd work out she was with Duncan and that was all they needed to know after the performance at dinner. It felt good to get the topic off her family. Courtney wasn't a family girl. Her family frustrated her to no end. Her brother had moved out years ago now and both of her parents were rarely home. She hadn't had much time to build a stable relationship with any of them over the last few years. Daniel never talked to her and the only thing she still had with her father was robot boxing, though even that relationship was dwindling.

Duncan seemed to know where he was going so Courtney didn't question it. When he pulled up to Rose Cross hospital twenty minutes later Courtney began to question what he was doing.

"What are we doing here?" Courtney asked.

"Answering your question."

Rose Cross was a nursing home.

The teenage boy entered the facility with confidence. His head was held high, owning the ground he treaded on. His companion, who usually walked with the same certainty as he was now, moved shyly behind him. Courtney wasn't quite sure what was going on. She had never been to Rose Cross or any nursing home. She didn't have anyone to visit. She was surprised that Duncan did.

As soon as they were over the threshold of the home a nurse behind the counter gasped Duncan's name, a bright smile on her face. She rushed through the door and into the foyer, resting a hand on either of Duncan's arms, engaging him in conversation.

"It's been so long; how've you been?" The middle aged woman asked, not letting go of him. Courtney shifted uncomfortably behind the two. She was used to having people all over her the way this woman was all over Duncan; as if she was famous (which she sort of was) and that they were excited to be in her presence.

"I'm good," Duncan replied, a shy smile on his face. He hadn't been expecting this much attention when he arrived. "This is my friend Courtney." He gestured behind him. "We thought we'd come see how he's doing." The nurse smiled fondly at Courtney, acknowledging her for the first time.

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you." The nurse continued to talk to Duncan for a little while before pointing him down the corridor to her right. She seemed friendly enough, but also totally oblivious to her surroundings. Like the fact there was an old man wandering helplessly behind her. Courtney wanted to help him, but she knew it wasn't her place (nor did she know what she would have done with him).

Duncan grabbed Courtney's hand for reassurance, pulling her down a few sanitized hallways. They smelt suspiciously like a dentist's office, the scent of latex gloves strangely overwhelming. Duncan didn't seem affected, but it took everything Courtney had not to gag. She was still confused as to why they were in this building to begin with, and Duncan wasn't offering any insight. That was until they stopped outside a green painted door with the number 308 scrawled on the wall beside it.

"I'm asking you not to judge and just hear me out when I talk." Courtney nodded her head. She wasn't going to judge. Especially after Duncan had made it through dinner with the family and not judged her for their actions. Duncan, taking Courtney's nod as a good sign, gave a quick rasp on the door before pushing it open and sticking his head inside. There was a sound from inside that Courtney couldn't decipher, but Duncan chuckled. He pushed the door open a bit wider, wide enough for them to both enter before he shut it again.

The room was fairly sized and painted a fresh spring green, with a makeshift kitchen to the right of the door; a 90 degree counter that held a microwave, toaster and kettle and hid a trash can and mini-fridge beneath as well as a single cupboard. There was a square table and two chairs sat a meter away. In the far corner was a twin sized bed, the covers made up tightly, and in the opposite corner, across from the door, was a small lounge area with a sofa against the back wall and a TV set against the adjacent wall Next to the television set was a door that led to a small en suite bathroom. Opposite the TV was an ageing armchair that was occupied by an elderly man with greying hair and finely pressed clothes. He had what Courtney could assume was a smile on his face. His eyes definitely had a shine to them and the longer he looked at Duncan the brighter they got. It was upon closer inspection that Courtney noted they were the same shade of blue as Duncan's.

"Gramps, I wanted you to meet a friend of mine," Duncan turned to Courtney, taking her hand in his again so he could pull her forward, closer to him as he approached the old man. 'This is Courtney Beaumont. She's my new fighting partner. Courtney, this is my grandfather, Joe Wilson." Courtney fought to stifle a gasp. "She's a big fan, Gramps, impress her," Duncan added with a wink. Joe let out a throaty chuckle, extending a hand to the young girl in front of him.

"It's an honor to meet you, sir." Courtney was beaming with disbelief. This was a robot boxing legend sitting in front of her, and she was getting to have a one-on-one conversation with him! She mirrored his extended hand and Joe took it, placing it to his mouth for a chaste, yet slightly slopping kiss.

"'ou too," he slurred, releasing Courtney's hand and letting it swing back down to her side. Courtney noticed that the left side of his mouth remained almost completely still when he spoke. Paralyzed.

Duncan motioned for Courtney to take a seat on the couch and she did so eagerly. She was still in shock at finally meeting the Joe Wilson. Though it had been a long time since he had retired from robot boxing, his legacy forever loved on in league boxing. This is what made Courtney so dazed by the fact she hadn't heard of Parker or Duncan Wilson before; the remaining legacy of a great era. No one seemed to mention that Stone had been passed on down the generation line (though Courtney felt silly for not having made the robot name connection sooner than she did).

"Why don't you tell her some old war stories, Gramps?" Duncan suggested, rummaging around the fridge. "I'm sure Courtney would love to hear some."

"If you don't mind, sir," Courtney added politely. Hearing stories from the legendary man himself was not something Courtney wanted to pass up. So that was how she spent the evening. Joe told many stories to the two of them-though his grandson had heard them before-all of his days as a professional league boxer. He stumbled over a few words and repeated sentences up to four times before continuing on and Duncan did have to translate a bit and occasionally butt in and say 'No Gramps, it's the Green Fights, not the Mean Kites', but Courtney listened intently to everything he had to say, hanging onto every word and wishing she had been there to witness the glory firsthand.

By the end of the night Duncan was joking about the Instagram pic Courtney had been determined to get. He loved seeing her so excited over something so simple. Then again, this must have been the way she had viewed things when Duncan saw all of the robots lined up earlier that day. Even when Courtney excused herself to the bathroom before they left, Duncan was still smiling from the buzz in the air. His grandfather lifted an eyebrow at him.

"See's pity," he said, nodding his dad towards the bathroom door.

"She's too young for you," Duncan joked, to which Joe attempted to roll his eyes. Courtney reappeared before either could say anymore to each other. They said their farewells and Duncan promised to visit more when they came back from tour.

The two teenagers found themselves sitting in the back of the truck again. The air between them was clearer now than it had been before, as if an invisible blanket that had once been suffocating them had been removed. They both felt at ease. Duncan lounged on his bed while Courtney studied the picture of the Wilson men again. Joe had definitely changed a lot in the last few years. Something had changed him and he had aged overnight. Courtney feared the worst when Duncan began telling her the story.

"It was almost five years ago, now." Duncan swallowed hard at the memory, his eyes closing and his head lolling back on his pillow. "It wasn't a particularly bad day, but the road was icy. We were driving back from dinner. Dad was driving, Gramps was in the passenger seat, I was behind him and Marley was sitting in the back with me. We'd been celebrating, just the four of us. Dad had finally proposed to Marley and I was so...happy." Courtney didn't want to interrupt the story and she couldn't face him as he told it. The pain in his voice was clear enough. "We were laughing and joking. We didn't even see the land rover skid towards us. Next thing I know I wake up in hospital. Alone. The nurse told me I was the only survivor and I just broke." And his voice mimicked the word. Duncan swallowed back the tears, determined to tell the story. "She had been misinformed. Gramps had survived with head trauma while I had a few broken ribs and minor surgery on my leg. But the other car had impacted the right side of our car. Dad and Marley were killed instantly." Courtney lifted her head to comfort Duncan, but he wasn't finished yet. "Then Gramps got too stressed out and suffered two stroked, the second leaving him semi-paralyzed on his left side and suffering with aphasia. Some days are horrible to witness; I think we're lucky we caught him on one of his better days." Courtney took a seat on the bed next to Duncan. "From then on I was bounced from foster family to foster family. I used to spend all of my spare time at Rose Cross, that's why the nurses knew me so well. Then when I was fifteen Gramps gave me the keys to his truck and...And I found Stone. He wanted me to take care of him and that's what I've been doing ever since. I got emancipated last year and now I live in my truck to be closer to the only family I have left."

"Where's your..."

"Real mother?" He questioned, his voice wobbling. "Walked out when I was three. I don't remember her at all. Didn't have any way to contact her, grandma had passed away three years before the accident and with Gramps unable to care for me, I became another number on the social system."

Courtney didn't know how to comfort Duncan, so she decided on lying down beside him and wrapping her arm tightly across his chest. They weren't close friends when the day started, but in that moment Courtney knew she was closer to him than anyone else. It took. Lot of courage and effort to tell that story and Courtney could feel his chest shaking beside her as Duncan choked back sobs.

"My parents don't love each other." She wasn't sure what forced her to say it, but the words were out of her mouth before she could stop it. Courtney bit her tongue for a moment, but Duncan tilted his head in encouragement. Courtney sucked in a deep breath and pushed her face into Duncan's side before continuing. "My parents don't love each other," she repeated. "They never have. When they were teenagers they used each other for arm candy and that just sort of kept going through the years. They don't despise each other, but they're barely even friends." Courtney was thinking back to her family now and it was painful. Duncan could feel her body tighten as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders in comfort. "My brother was an accident- the first one, at least. My parents loved him, none the less, but he was always so rebellious. They didn't know how to deal with him. When he was eight my parents got drunk one night and...Accident number two. Me. I know they loved me too and I always tried my best to be perfect for them...but I wasn't. I was trying to be perfect to fit into my 'perfect' family, but I never realised we weren't perfect, we only pretended to be. That was until I caught my mother in bed with another man." Duncan closed his eyes, his hand unconsciously rubbing circles in Courtney's back. She took it as a sign if comfort and encouragement. "I learnt that both my parents were having affairs with pretty much anyone that wasn't each other. It hurt at first, but I think I just learnt to accept it. I never told anyone. I just kept pretending to be perfect..."

They stayed in silence for a long while, both taking in the others heavy secrets. The burdens were slightly lifted now. They didn't have to carry around memories that would hurt them by themselves; they had each other to lean on for support. They still weren't exactly friends, but this made it easier on them to be travel together over the next few weeks. This was the beginning of trust.

A/N: Aww…

I know it's been a long time since I updated! But I have been working on it, I swear! I got a major case of writers block like halfway through the family dinner, but the other day I had a brain wave and I've been writing and rewriting ever since!

This is also 3,917 (without the AN) words long…..My average chapter length is 2000 words. That's a lot extra for your reading pleasure!

So, how is everyone? Did ya'll enjoy this chapter? I wasn't going to reveal the family secrets until a later date, but I felt it fitted into this chapter quite nicely.

I don't know how many chapters are left of this story. Every time I think about it the number changes. Sometimes I don't think I'll make it to 15, other times it goes up to 20 or so. So just keep in mind it may or may not be coming to an end very soon XD

Thank you to;

SkorpionQueen012: That demon voice definitely added to the dramatic effect there XD Thank you :D

acosta perez jose ramiro: I try to keep it interesting and I do love cliffhangers. Ya know, as long as I'm the one writing them XD Thanks :D

Guest: I'm glad you like this story (: I hope I can continue it! Thank you :D

ThatSuperHotSexyBookWorm: Fluff is adorable ^^ I hope Daniel met all of your expectations! Thanks :D

Kidstandout: Well, my DxC fics are always here for your viewing, they ain't going anywhere =P haha, yeah, that's the movie that this is based off XD I loved it so much that I had to write my own story about it! Thank you :D

You guys are amazing! I love all of you!

Thanks for reading, please review (:

I also do realise I named this chapter and haven't named any others...I just felt like naming it.

Love, ChloeRhiannonX