Happy Reading Everyone!

Due to the VERY LATE prediction of Hurricane Nicole's arrival, I have decided to go ahead and post today instead of Thursday just in case we happen to lose power. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews that were left on the first chapter. Don't forget to keep commenting though, we love reading them.

Chapter 2

Two years later

I hit the alarm clock before it has a chance to go off. I don't know why I even keep setting the damn thing, I barely sleep through the night. I can't remember the last time I actually slept more than four hours, ever since Tris threw me out of the house.

It's been two years. Two years and I still can't bring myself to look at another woman. Sure, Zeke has tried to drag me out, Uriah too, but I just can't. The thought of a failed marriage, the disappointment that I caused to not only Tris, but my kids break my heart

"Good for nothing. You piece of shit… No one would ever want you." My father's words now play on and on in my head. Words from my childhood. The words that he would repeat as he lashed out with not only his fists but also his belt.

This whole thing with Tris and I really brought back memories from a time that I fought so hard to forget. A time that I held onto the image of Tris tighter than a friend would at the age of ten. She was the girl down the street. Our fathers worked together; we met through a work dinner one night. We hit it off easily, even with the age difference. Two years difference when you are older is one thing, but when you are ten and eight… It can make a hell of a difference. But we were inseparable after that. The two years difference was unnoticeable in my eyes. Tris was stubborn even at a young age, never giving up, never taking no for an answer and she was smarter than any fourth grader I knew at the time. It was one of the many reasons that I fell in love with her.

For a long time, we dated in secret. My father wanted me to marry some girl he had his eye on. "A good business opportunity," he would say.

Tris' parents very loudly expressed their desire for her to marry into their neighbor's family, The Blacks. Tris entertained the idea for I think about a whole five minutes. She didn't think any more about Robert Black other than that he was a close friend of the family. But they were insistent. They finally backed down when Tris and I showed up on their doorstep after a long weekend away together with a ring on both our fourth fingers.

It was a planned thing, after graduation. The two of us plus our closest friends went to Las Vegas. Sure, it was rash, in more ways than one. I know if my daughter ever came back married… I would probably kill her, not to mention what I would do with the kid she married. But we wanted to be together, we didn't want either one of our parents to stop it. So, one month before graduation, I proposed, knowing that our time was getting limited. Zeke, Uriah, Marlene, and Shauna all came with Tris and I. Zeke was my best man, and Shauna was Tris' maid of honor. Uriah and Marlene were our witnesses. They were stunned when Tris and I requested Marcus to be at the Prior's house when we got there, to announce our marriage.

Natalie was thrilled. She just wanted Tris to be happy, to be loved and cherished. She didn't care if it was Robert or myself or any other man. Andrew on the other hand, along with Marcus, had a few other words to say. It left Tris and I packing our bags and leaving home and not looking back. It was something we were prepared to do. Sure, we struggled at first, but we made it work.

I always felt like she was out of my league even after we were married. Sure, I worked harder than ever, wanting to provide for her, to feel like I was in fact worthy of her love. It took me a long time to figure out that that was probably the reason why I didn't fight for her. That I just gave up so easily and walked away.

It took a very drunk night with Zeke at my side for me to realize it. If I was so innocent, why didn't I fight back. He knew, just as much as I did…Nothing ever happened between me and that damn woman Nita. Yet, when I got home I just layed down and didn't fight for my marriage. I didn't even try to explain my side of the story. I kept telling myself it was fear of her being pregnant and not wanting to cause her more stress than I already had.

Zeke tried to fight my case for me, of course. Explaining what really happened that day. But Tris wouldn't hear of it. Why if I was innocent, would I not try and deny it for myself, she had told him. Why wasn't I there begging to be heard, to demand that I be listened to. To refuse to leave my pregnant wife and son. That only made my father's words even more true… I am good for nothing. Even Shauna tried to step up batting for me. Knowing damn well I would never step out on my wife and kids. But she couldn't fight that one-point Tris kept bringing up. If I was so innocent, why did I give up so goddamn easily. I had no words for that.

The divorce was easy. As easy as I could make it, of course. Tris got the house, her car, half our savings and half custody of the kids, including at the time our unborn daughter, Katelyn. I, being a mess that I was at the time, agreed to every other weekend and every other Holiday. I even agreed with the exemption of the first year of our daughter. After all, Tris would be breastfeeding the baby when she was born.

Tris allowed me to be there when Katelyn was born. Of course, I wasn't allowed in the room while she was laboring. She felt and wanted her privacy, as I was no longer her husband of course. Instead, I waited in the waiting room along with the rest of our friends and family. I got to spend a little more time with our son, Ryan. We played and talked… my heart broke each time he asked why I wasn't coming home? Why did I have to live somewhere else? I tried to explain to him that Mommy and Daddy just weren't happy anymore, as best as I could. But how do you explain to a three-year-old, that Daddy fucked up royally, to the point of no repair.

I moved into my own studio apartment after the divorce was final. The place is big enough for much more than I have in it. But it's nothing more than a place to sleep in and hold my things. It's not home. Tris is and always will be my home.

I have a queen size bed in the back of the apartment, along the wall is a set of lockers that I got off of eBay real cheap. A black leather couch that pulls out into another bed for the kids when they stay over and a small table fit for two. Although it's always just me. Ryan struggles staying the night sometimes… of course he is only three.

It's not much, but it's close to Tris and the kids. Just down the street, really. Something I wanted from the start. To be close by for anything. I don't work as a bodyguard any longer. Deciding that gig did enough for me. I now work as a security guard, rotating between shopping malls and grocery stores. Zeke calls me every once in a while, trying to get me to come back to work with him. But he easily backs off, knowing that that life isn't for me anymore.

It broke my heart when I heard from Shauna that Tris had begun dating again. Of course, I have to give her credit. She didn't mean to tell me. She had no idea that I was in the bathroom. She blurted out to Zeke that Tris was going on her first date, and that she volunteered to help out with the kids. The thought of Tris dating tore me apart, the thought that she would ask someone else other than their father to watch the kids hurt me even more. Wasn't my time already limited? Didn't I deserve more than the scraps that she allowed me to have… Thankfully the pain I felt was overwritten by the hurt. I pointed right at the person that needed to hear it.

"You have no right to tell me how to live my life… Especially after you were the one that broke it." Tris had yelled at me in the middle of our street, or her street.

"This isn't about that… this is about the kids. Our kids. Why ask anyone to watch them while you are…." I paused, choosing my words carefully. Saying the wrong thing, would get me nowhere. "Doing whatever it is you choose to do," I continued, "I'm their father. I'm their father… and not you or anyone else is going to change that." I pointed out. It was then, I could see the way she breathed in, her body relaxed at the understatement of my words. She kept her arms crossed, defensively, but no longer tensed, ready for a war. "Shouldn't we at least work together when it comes to them and not against each other." I said while the going was getting good.

"I guess you have a point." She nodded, giving in. "We should be partners… at least when it comes to them." She admitted.

"Thank you," I said, breathing a sigh in relief.

"I guess we should make some boundaries when it comes to our adult personal lives and the kids." She said, "and work together."

"Together." That word meant more to me than she would ever know.

It's been a little over six months since Tris has been dating Robert. Although the kids say nothing but good things about him… You can't trust too much about what comes out of a four and almost two-year-old mouth. A part of me couldn't help but wonder why now, why after all this time had she finally decided to do what Mommy and Daddy wanted her to do all those years ago. Did she really want this?

Either way, things look to be getting more and more serious as the weeks turn into months. I fear what would be the next step in their relationship. I just came to terms with Tris' dating life and her relationship with Robert. But for him to be possibly living with her and my kids, being their step daddy… I'm not and will never be ready for that.

Just in case, I had Zeke contact one of our old work buddies and do a background check on him. Be as it may, I may not be able to stop him from getting close to my wife, I mean my ex-wife, but I will make sure she and our kids are safe. Unfortunately, other than a few speeding tickets his record came back clean as a whistle. For now, I just have to continue to dig… He is up to something, I feel it. I just have to find out what.

The vibration from my phone sends me back to reality. I reach up to see Tris' name on the caller ID. I answer it on the second ring, clearing the tiredness from my voice.

"Hello," I say.

"Hey, I didn't wake you, did I?" I hear Tris' tender voice on the other end of the line.

"No. I was awake. What's up?" I ask, standing up from the bed. I begin to move almost quickly, as if its Tris' voice pushing me into action.

"There is supposed to be a storm later… Are you still planning on heading up here soon? If not, we can keep the kids. Might be safer." She suggested.

"No. I'm leaving soon. I'll be there in an hour. It's my turn." I remind her.

Ever since Robert Black has stepped into the picture, it's been another reason for her parents to try and push me out. It's taken a lot of pushing back on my part to see to it that that does not and won't happen. I swear it's one of the reasons why the Priors insisted on hosting Thanksgiving out in their cabin over an hour away. One big happy family, including Robert's parents, and sister. Hell, even Caleb made it out there this year. They have all been up there for a week already and Thanksgiving is still another four days away. Tris and I agreed that I would drive up and get the kids. She will pick them up on Saturday morning at my place.

"Your right it is… I'm not saying otherwise… But Four, the storm." She insists. I cringe hearing her call me Four. It was something that she started doing when the divorce was finalized. Like a way for her to separate Tobias, her husband and Four, the father of her children.

"And I'm leaving now. I'll beat the storm… I'm coming to get the kids," I say, watching my tone. I don't want to fight, not now and not with her. I pull up my jeans, zipping them up. No one will keep me from my kids.

"Okay." She says, giving in. "Just drive safe." She says, before ending the call. I slip the phone in my back pocket. I throw on a black and gray flannel shirt. I grab my black backpack from the closet, stuffing in an extra shirt, and a few things for the kids. At the last minute I grab my charger from my nightstand and grab my wallet on my way out the door.

It took double the time it would have been to make it out of the city. Everyone scrambling to come in or come out, shopping for the sales and the last-minute meal ingredients they need, made traffic shitter than normal. My nerves ran wild, needing to get there and back in time before the big storm hits.

Maybe Tris was right, maybe I should have agreed to leaving the kids with her. If it wasn't for her parents and now Robert trying to push me out of the picture… I probably would have taken her up on her offer. Maybe trading on another Holiday instead. But I can't take the thought of someone trying to make it harder for me to see my own damn kids.

I take a deep breath before finally opening my door and getting out of the car. I just about drag my feet up the steps not really feeling like being social to a bunch of hypocrites. But what other choice do I have?

I reach the door, raising my hand as I hear the sound of my children playing on the other side of the door. I get the courage from them, who are stuck in the middle as much as I am in this mess. I knock twice, hearing Ryan scream in excitement, "He's here. He's here. See I told you he would come." Then the door swings open revealing none other than Robert himself. Asshole.

"Four, how are you doing? I was beginning to wonder about you." He says, holding out his hand for me to shake. I return the gesture as warmly as I can.

"Yeah. Traffic." I point out as I take a step inside. Nearly having to force my way in since the asshole wouldn't move aside.

"Tis the season." He says, simply.

"Daddy. Daddy." The screams of my children running towards me breaks the awkwardness between Robert and I. My face finally breaks into a smile, lifting first Ryan and then bending down to hold out my left arm for my little girl. My little girl who is slowly but happily wobbling over towards me.

"Dadda." She says, when she finally reaches me. They both hold onto my neck as I straighten back up on my feet.

"Where's Tris?" I ask, trying to keep the coldness out of my voice. But it's hard to, harder than I would have ever imagined when I look at the man that is trying so hard to replace me.

"Right behind you." Tris says, I turn around to see the only woman that I will and have ever loved right in front of me. I glance down at her hands that are busying themselves in a kitchen towel. As if her hands could get any cleaner. She gives me a warm smile that doesn't exactly meet her eyes. But they often don't these days. Only when she is looking at the eyes of our kids is she truly happy. "Can I speak with you?" She asks, concern written on her face.

"Sure," I say. I bend back down on one knee placing both kids gently back on their feet. "Mommy and Daddy need to have a grown-up talk for a minute before we go. Okay?" I tell them. "You two play nice," I say.

"Don't worry, I'll watch them." Natalie's voice from behind me says. I stand up, turning towards her. "Hello, Tobias." She says, sweetly. Funny out of everyone in this house, she was the only one that didn't believe I was capable of doing what I was accused of. Even when she saw the pictures from the tabloids, "There has to be more to the story." She would say and still does. But her daughter is just as stubborn as her husband, not wanting to be proven wrong.

"Hello Natalie, how are you?" I say, smiling as I reach to embrace her. She returns my embrace just as easily as ever.

"I'm well. Thank you for asking. How are things?" She asks.

"They've been…" I don't bother to answer, not with straining ears listening in. And I don't mean just the kids.

"You should come by and see me sometime. I would like that." She offers. Although I know she is being hundred percent honest. I also know her husband would not be pleased by my presence. "Thank you. I'll think about it," I say, letting her down easily.

"You do that, Tobias." She speaks. It's funny, she is the only one that still calls me Tobias. "You best go see what my daughter needs." She says, gesturing towards the kitchen.

"Yes, ma'am."

I walk into the kitchen slowly, remembering countless holidays in this kitchen. Holidays when Tris and I were just starting out. Her family was just beginning to accept us as a married couple. We would sneak down for a midnight snack and end up making passionate love on the countertops. Feels like a lifetime ago.

"What's up?" I ask, letting my presence known.

"They just announced that they closed down the bridge." She says, turning towards me. I close my eyes, silently cursing under my breath. I should have left earlier. Now what do I do? The bridge is the only way in and out of this small ass town… and back to Chicago.

"I guess I could rent a room with the kids," I say, coming up with a solution. "Just until they can get the bridge open again."

"That's ridiculous. Why don't you just stay here. We have room." She says. Dropping the towel on the countertop and she places both her hands flatly on the counter, leaning into it.

That's when I see it. It's the reason why she kept her hands so busy with the towel. She wasn't nervous, she was trying to hide the newest addition to her hand. An engagement ring.

My stomach drops, my heart breaking every second I stare at it. She's engaged! To him.

"He proposed last night." She says, her voice barely above a whisper, yet gentle at the same time. "I was going to tell you."

"Congratulations." I say, almost too quickly. There's no sense in being a baby about it. Not when I can't change what is.

"Thanks." She says, almost too sarcastically.

"You don't sound happy about it." I say, blurting it out before thinking about my words.

"Four," she begins.

"Never mind. It's none of my business. I'll get the kids… and we will get out of your hair," I say, trying to hide what I feel. I need to get out of here now.

"Tobias." Natalie says, gently. "I think Beatrice is right. I think you and the kids should stay. The blizzard… the snow has already begun and they say it's going to be a bad one. It would be good to be with people that can help with the kids if need be." She places a hand on my shoulder, trying to melt my bad mood. Fuck how can I ever say no to her.

"It would be good for the kids to have their whole family together for once " Tris points out.

"Well… who wanted it like that anyway." I blurt out. My anger is beginning to get the better of me.

"Tobias." Natalie scolds.

"No mom… He's right. I wanted the divorce. But I wasn't the one that couldn't keep it in my pants." She spits out.

"Like you would know." I fire back. "You wouldn't even hear my side."

"Alright both of you." Natalie says, holding both her hands up between us. "Now. This is a conversation that I agree must be had… but this is not the time nor the place." She says. I bite my lower lip, turning around to see if the kids are ready to go. I can't stay here. No way. I walk out into the living room, seeing the kids smiling as they play together.

"I don't think you will be going anywhere, at least not tonight Four," Andrew says.

"And why is that?" I say, a little too ruthless.

"Look for yourself, son." He says, points towards the window. It looks like a sheet of ice falling down. I can't see anything, not even my car. I glance down at my young children, knowing damn well I can't take them anywhere in this weather. Fucking, shit.

A/N

And the plot thickens… Will Tobias and Tris ever talk their shit out? Will Tobias survive Thanksgiving with Tris and the new fiance?

Find out next week.

Revised by: FDFobsessed

Like always, happy reading, be safe and stay healthy,

Trini