Hi all, I'm sorry if this is too long. I wanted to give Jack and Destiny a little bit of a relationship before things got interesting. Both Matthew and Jack are in this one. Hope you enjoy.

The Tempest – Chapter 12

Jack held Destiny's hand as he walked into the front door of LaBoule. He turned and smiled at her just before he opened the door. She cringed a little.

"What's that frowny-face for?"

"Your eye." Destiny moved a little closer to him. She reached to touch it. "I can't believe it looks so bad."

"Thanks Snooks." Jack began to laugh. "Good thing you're hot enough for the both of us."

"Right. My pregnant belly and I are real hot."

"There's just a little more of you to love until Beyonce arrives."

"Beyonce?"

"What else are you going to call Destiny's child?"

"Ha ha." Destiny made a pouty face. Jack leaned in as if he were about to kiss her. She then got a close-up of the fleshy, purple bruising beneath his eye. "Seriously Jack, I feel awful."

He used the opportunity to pull her closer to him. "You feel pretty good to me."

Jack leaned in and began to kiss Destiny. He ran his fingers through her hair in the process. Destiny began to smile in the midst of the kisses. Soon, she started to giggle.

"What's so funny?" He gave her a quick peck on the mouth because he couldn't seem to stop himself from touching her.

"I don't know. I can't believe I'm making out with my best friend's little brother. I totally just remembered the first time I heard you call Dani snot sucker."

"You don't know what that girl does in the privacy of her own home." They both laughed until Jack spoke again. "You do realize that in a week, we'll be the same age."

"Yes. For 11 days." She smirked. For the first time in weeks, Destiny felt like she didn't have a care in the world. "What do you want for your birthday?

"I already have it." Jack leaned down and kissed her again.

"Oh my gosh, you guys are so adorable!" Dani practically screamed. Her voice startled them, causing them both to jump. Destiny's cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire from embarrassment.

Dani pulled Destiny into the kitchen where she drilled Destiny for details such as whether she was Jack's girlfriend. Destiny reminded her that she and Matthew had only been apart for a week and then she told her that she and Jack they were just hanging out. Dani predicted that it was only a matter of time before they were official.

Things got a little tense when Starr entered the kitchen and asked to speak with Destiny alone. She told Destiny how much she really liked her, but she expressed concern about Destiny's involvement with Jack. Starr reminded her that she was going to be a mother soon. Then she reminded her that Jack was young. Finally, Starr asked if Destiny had any unresolved issues with Matthew. Before she could answer, Jack stormed into the kitchen and told Starr to butt out.

Jack then took Destiny by the hand and led her to their pond. When they arrived, Destiny gasped. Jack had filled the pond with at least 20 floating water lights. It was one of the most beautiful sites she'd ever seen. By the side of the pond was a blanket where they sat and watched the water and the lights. Jack talked about how hockey practices began soon and how he hoped to be made the starting center of the team. He asked Destiny what she wanted more than anything.

"I want to have a healthy baby and to be loved."

"You might be closer than you think." Jack kissed her.

After their kiss, Destiny rested her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his torso. Destiny was struck by how peaceful things were there. It seemed like the first time in months that she hadn't been in the middle of a crisis. This evening was like a rest at the end of a long journey. For a moment, her mind flashed to Matthew. She wondered what he was doing and if he was okay. Then she pushed him out of her mind.

Now, four days later, while she and Jack were at dinner at the country club, Destiny was zoning out a little as she listened to Jack talk incessantly about hockey. Hockey had never been Destiny's favorite sport. Hearing Jack talk about it for the last hour hadn't helped matters. She couldn't blame him for being excited after being named the starting center…or whatever. He lost her in conversation somewhere between checking and hat tricks.

Truthfully, Jack's hockey fixation wasn't the problem; she was the problem. More specifically, it was her inability to take Shaun's advice about taking things slow with both of them. Though, Matthew had been more civil when she was alone, he'd been visibly angry every time he saw she and Jack together at school. She didn't want to fight, or argue. She just wanted to be happy. In her heart, she knew she should have cleared the air with Matthew before hanging out so openly with Jack. Though she generally enjoyed Jack's company, the tension between she and Matthew was stressing her out.

"Snooks, is everything okay?" Jack watched as Destiny picked at her food.

"I'm fine." She sighed

Immediately, Jack realized what would make her feel better. They needed to get back to their turf, to a place that was just about them. He needed to take her back to his house to the little pond near the rear of the estate. Jack looked into her eyes. "Are you sure you're okay? Because honestly I'm a little bored. Let's get out here and go have some fun."

Destiny smiled. Maybe Jack was right. They had always been able to have fun when it was just the two of them being themselves. She watched as Jack paid the bill and they headed to La Boule. Neither was expecting what they saw when they entered into Jack's Aunt Dorian's house.

Destiny was the first to speak. "Matthew?"

Matthew loved the look of sheer surprise on Destiny's face and the utter horror on Jack's. He couldn't help it; he smirked. The night before he and David had a talk. David suggested he take a different approach. He thought Matthew might fare better with a friendly, in your face approach. And this was step one.

"Buchanan, what are you doing in my house?"

"I'm visiting my friend, Starr and my big brother," Matthew said, with attitude. He continued, "And because the house belongs to my brother's wife, I can visit whenever I feel like it."

Jack moved closer to Matthew until the two stood toe to toe. "I feel bad for you. You lost Destiny." Jack taunted. "I know that must suck, but you have to get over it. She doesn't want you. She's with me now. We're together-"

"Jack…" Destiny cautioned.

"If you are so together then why are you freaking out about me just being here? Are you afraid Destiny is going to remember who you are and come back to me?"

He was afraid of exactly that. Jack suspected that Destiny had been thinking of Matthew throughout their entire dinner. This was not going to help. He needed Matthew gone. "You have 30 seconds to get out here, Matthew."

"I'm not going anywhere, so I guess that means you have 29 seconds to try to make me." Matthew saw the fear in this kid's eyes. He should be afraid. This boy had stolen his girlfriend when he was away. Well, things were about to change, Matthew was a Buchanan and people didn't just steal from Buchanans. They especially didn't get to steal the women they loved.

Jack took a step closer to Matthew. Then he spoke in a soft voice. "If that's the way you want it."

Matthew didn't move. He didn't even blink. He simply said, "Bring it."

"Matthew, Jack," Destiny called out. "Please stop…Please."

Neither Jack nor Matthew responded to her pleas. Instead, they continued to stand toe-to-toe, each waiting for the other to back down.

David and Starr were in the kitchen when they heard the shouting in the foyer and recognized Jack and Matthew's voices. When they arrived in the room, David saw Matthew and Jack looking as though they were about to fight, which obviously upset Destiny.

Starr pushed the two apart. "Matthew, Jack, what's going on here? You're upsetting Destiny."

"And little David." David put his arm around Destiny and ushered her toward the kitchen. He glared at Jack. "Come on Destiny…why don't you come have an ice cream sundae with your real BFF."

Starr glared at the two boys. "What are you guys thinking?"

Matthew spoke first. "I'm not going to let your brother steal my girlfriend."

Jack laughed, "Well the way she was kissing me yesterday makes me think she's not your girlfriend anymore."

Matthew's first instinct was to hit the punk, but as he balled up his fist, he realized he could hit him with something more powerful: the truth. Matthew chuckled, "Guess what Jack, she's having my baby. That means I'll always be in her life. In the delivery room, PTA meetings, our baby's first steps and first words. I'll always be his dad and you'll be what, Jack? His mom's boyfriend? Destiny will figure out who you really are before my kid can say your name and then you'll be gone."

"Destiny's going to figure out who I am? Who is that? Someone with more money and more friends than you?" Jack asked with attitude.

"No, you're a fake…just like Walker."

For a second, Matthew felt bad as he watched Jack's face deflate. When he heard Destiny call his name, he felt worse. He hadn't heard her walk in the room.

"Matthew, I think you should go."

In Destiny's eyes, he saw an emotion he'd never seen directed at him: disappointment. She could barely look at him. Jack looked back at the two of them and then walked out of the door. Worst of all, Destiny looked as though she wanted to go after him. Thankfully, Starr volunteered. When the two of them were alone, Destiny was the first to speak.

"Matthew, how could you? That was cruel."

Matthew was angry, in part because he thought about what Jack said about he and Destiny kissing the day before. "You're just going to walk in and start defending him? You don't even know what he said to me before you walked in."

There was a fire in her eyes that he'd seen before when she'd been protecting someone innocent like Shane. Jack was not innocent. "I know he's been missing his dad and how hard everything has been on him."

"How hard everything has been on him? Des, I was in a coma and then in rehab for months. Everything I did was to fight my way back to you and our baby. Jack gets you and I'm supposed to be worried about him?"

Something about hearing Matthew say she was with Jack unnerved her. Yes, she and Jack had kissed a few times, but there were no agreements made, no vows exchanged. "Matthew, I'm not with Jack. I'm just trying to figure things out."

Matthew dropped his head. "That's the part that hurts so much. I never thought you would be confused about us."

"I'm so sorry." Though she tried to stop herself, she began to cry.

Matthew watched as the tears slid down Destiny's cheeks. He could practically touch her pain. Then he did what seemed as natural to him as breathing: he pulled her into his arms and comforted her. He began to stroke her hair. Matthew wondered if the tears were only about her confusion or whether it was a build up of all that she'd handled alone over the last few months. "Des," he whispered into her hair. "It's okay. Tell me what you need."

Destiny did her best to stop crying. She looked up at him and saw the Matthew she knew…the one who always held her hand through all of the bad stuff. "I need you to be my friend. I know it's unfair of me to ask you, but…"

"It's what you did when I was blinded by Dani. I guess I can do that." He tapped a finger against his lip.

"Can you try to get along with Jack, too?"

"I can try." He rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to become his BFF like you did with Dani."

Destiny hugged him again, which suddenly made his promises feel worthwhile. They were interrupted by Jack's voice.

"Destiny?" Jack was outraged that Destiny knew he was hurt and yet, she was hugging the person who hurt him. "I can't believe this. You're actually hugging him?"

Matthew thought about his promises to Destiny. He would do what she asked…at least while she was looking. He extended a hand, which Jack accepted reluctantly. "Calm down, Jack. Destiny just convinced me that we needed to get along. I'll do that…for her, but if you hurt her, you'll be sorry." Matthew then lowered his voice so low that only Jack could here. "And don't get comfortable because I'm going to get her back."

"Yeah, good luck with that."

Jack and Matthew exchanged fake smiles. Matthew then moved back in Destiny's direction. He touched a finger to her nose. "I'm not giving up on you." Then he touched her stomach and added, "Or him."

"Her." Destiny smiled. Then she watched Matthew walk out of the room. She almost forgot Jack was in the room, until he called her name again.

"Destiny?" Jack's voice brought her back to reality. She walked over to him.

"Jack, I'm sorry about what Matthew said about Walker. He promised me he wouldn't do it again."

"Come on Snooks, you're not really falling for Matthew's act are you? He's only being nice because he wants you back."

Destiny sighed loudly. "Jack, I don't want to fight with you." She looked at her watch. "I think I should go."

He took her hand. "Are we still celebrating our birthdays together on Saturday?"

Destiny nodded. She felt guilty that his feelings were hurt and she couldn't leave Matthew long enough to check on him. Besides, once upon a time, both she and Jack had been looking forward to it. She couldn't say, "no" now. "Wouldn't miss it."

"Good." He plastered on a smile. "I'll drive you home."

Jack led her by the hand to his truck. From Destiny's silence, he knew she was thinking about Matthew. At that moment, he vowed to step up his game. Matthew may have won the first battle, but he planned to win the war.