Chapter 3: Getting Ann Back

Tommy had Kimberly stay at his house while he went to get Ann. She needed her rest, she also explained that she hadn't been able to sleep since her first beating. He felt anger at the thought of someone hurting her, so he had Kira and her friends stay at his house to watch over her while he went to France to get their daughter. He looked out the window and watched as they started to land.

When he arrived at the address Kimberly gave him, he took a deep breath and got out of the car. He climbed up the stairs and knocked on the door. A woman answered the door and he knew that it was Kimberly's mother. "Well, if it isn't Thomas Oliver, what are you doing in France?" She demanded. Then a little girl stood next to Ms. Hart and Tommy knew that it was Ann. Ms. Hart looked down to see that he had an eye on Ann. She crouched down in front of the girl and sent her inside. She then crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"You already seen the answer, Ms. Hart, I have come for Ann," he replied.

"Did Kimberly send you here herself? Well, she should have come here herself," Ms. Hart snapped.

She sighed and let him inside.

Tommy sat down and then Ms. Hart sat across from him. "Ms. Hart, what did Kimberly tell you the day she asked you to take Ann?" He asked.

"She told me that she was having difficulties of taking care of a child and so she begged me to take Ann back to France with me," she replied.

"She didn't have difficulties raising a baby, she had difficulties raising a child around an abusive man."

"Mr. Oliver, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. Did you see the bruises on your daughter's arms the day she handed Ann to you? Did you see that the light that was once in her eyes gone? Did you take the time to actually see what was troubling her?"

Ms. Hart was about to object when she realized that Tommy was right. Tommy then stood up and threw pictures on the coffee table. "These are photographs from the hospital. This is Kimberly after she finally left Miami. THIS IS WHAT YOUR DAUGHTER HAS BEEN THROUGH! LOOK AT THESE PICTURES, MS. HART! THESE ARE PICTURES OF A MAN THAT WOULD KILL A WOMAN IF SHE WOULDN'T RUN AWAY!" He roared. Ms. Hart had her hand over her mouth in shock. Her beloved child was being beaten by her boyfriend. She picked the pictures up and looked at Tommy in disbelief.

"This can't be. Jake was such a nice man when I was visiting," she insisted.

"He was acting, Ms. Hart. He wanted you to like him so he could keep on beating Kim. Look at her now, she's been through enough to the point that she took whatever money she had left, packed her bags, and ran to me. I didn't know what was going on because she was afraid of what my reaction would be if I knew about Ann," he explained.

Ms. Hart was still staring at the photographs of her beaten daughter. Ann came in and gasped when she saw the pictures. "Is that my mommy!" She gasped. She then looked at Tommy. "Did you hurt her? Are you the one that's hurting my mommy?" She asked. Tommy shook his head no.

"No, Ann, I didn't hurt your mother. Jake did," he replied.

Ann's eyes widened. "Is my mommy still hurt?" She asked. Tommy walked over and crouched down to her level.

"She does hurt, Ann, but it's because you're not there with her. She wants you home," he explained.

"I miss, mommy. May I ask who you are?" She asked.

Tommy smiled and touched the girl's shoulders. "My name is Tommy Oliver," he replied. She gave her grandmother a quizzical look when her grandmother decided to tell the truth.

"That man, is your father," Ms. Hart stated.

Ann smiled and hugged her father tight. "Daddy," she giggled. Tommy held her close with a sigh then he had her go upstairs to get her things while he gathered up the pictures.

"What are you going to do with those, Tommy?" She asked.

"I'm going to burn them, Ms. Hart. Kimberly has the right to start over and that's exactly what I'm giving her, a chance to start over again," he replied.

"Tell her that I'm sorry."

Tommy nodded before leaving with Ann.

Once they arrived back at home, Tommy carried a sleeping Ann off the plane. He grabbed their bags and got them into the truck. He placed Ann in the passenger's seat and then he drove off once he got in.

He parked his truck and climbed out. Ann jumped out of the car calling for her mother. "MOMMY! MOMMY!" She called. Kimberly had opened the door when she heard her daughter's calls. She went down on her knees and hugged her tight.

"Did grandma treat you right?" She asked.

"Yeah, mommy, I got to meet daddy," Ann giggled.

Kimberly looked up to see Tommy walking over to them and smiled at him. "Tommy, I still can't believe you brought her home," she stated. Tommy grabbed her hand and looked at Ann before looking at her.

"I always keep a promise, Kim, remember that," he whispered.

He sent Ann inside and gently placed his hands on Kimberly's beaten waist and looked at her face. The only place that Jake hadn't touched with his fists. "I'll be fine, Tommy, the bruises will heal," she insisted.

"But, will the glow in your eyes return from what happened?" He asked.

Kimberly sighed as she looked at him. "Time will bring the glow back," she replied. He kissed her forehead before they went inside.