Next installment. Thanks all I love that you love this story. :)
I own only my ideas
Warnings: possibly swearing, Bullying: its bad and this was hard to write because I've been in Hannah's shoes... *sigh* but don't let that get you down the little punk gets his!
So ENJOY!
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Tuck wasn't a stupid man, far from it. So when Joe told him to get to school a little earlier he knew immediately there was an ulterior motive. Hannah was a sweet, lovely girl and apparently a devious mastermind who had a hand in or was even the architect of this scheme of theirs. The brit chuckled to himself and hummed a little at the thought of seeing Cadence again. How had two kids read their parents so easily?
"If you won't do it I will!"
"Frank, mate I am not running a back ground check on her."
"Well she's our wedding photographer and the last one was a sleazy con so I checked." FDR replied with a smirk. His face suddenly sobered, "No priors maybe a few traffic tickets, but…"
"What mate? Tell me…"
"There was this", FDR sighed and dropped the folder on Tuck's desk.
Tuck pushed his key board aside to get what his friend had left. He was afraid he was going to be sick. Inside was a hospitals obligatory report of abuse. He knew he was seeing Cadence, he recognized the tattoo on her broken wrist. She was blonde, her eye nearly shut, a hand imprinted on her delicate throat. Next was a written documentation of the abuse you couldn't see. He looked at the date, stared at it. *March 17, 2007 report taken, no charges filed* that only meant one thing, her ex-husband.
"I know…I don't even know her and I want to maim that sorry excuse for a human." FDR sighed and Tuck just nodded albeit numbly. "Looks like she's done pretty well for herself though, you said she looked happy, loved her kid…" The agent breezed by and grabbed the file, stapled it shut and threw it in his trash bin. "Let's not focus on that, you said you were seeing her again right?"
"Thanks to Joe, I'm pretty sure I will be."
LCALCALCALCALCALCALCALCALCA
She saw no use in crying, but she'd start just to trick the bullies into leaving her alone. They were mean little snots with no parents bold enough to spank them. She had friends, family a good life, what was there to be sad about? Face planting in a crowded hallway, there was that. She was quite sure Cassius Bryon was the sum of all evil in this school and now she was positive. Hannah had tried to keep her head down, do her best to 'hobble' right by. It was no good.
"Hey cripple", He jeered, she kept going, praying today of all days he'd leave it at words. She should have known. "Retard, yeah I'm talking to you stupid."
She turned with a sigh and something snapped. No longer caring if it was stupid to play his little game she replied. "It's Hannah…and I may be… a cripple, but at least…I'm not an…ugly toad…who's been…held back twice!"
He clenched his fists, recovered and sneered. "Where's your bodyguard cripple?" Cassius joked and she wilted a little under his menacing stare.
~LCA~
Tuck reached the school in time to see Hannah try to pull herself from the floor as the rest of the kids fled the hall. He rushed up the steps just as Cassius was trying to hide Hannah's crutches out of reach. The kid let out a little squeak as the brit grabbed his collar and yanked, lifting him off his feet so he was eye level. The boy struggled a little till Tuck growled and shook him. "I have had my share of dealings with spoiled little prats like you, I didn't care for them and I certainly don't care for you."
"D-don't hu-hurt m-me." Cassius pleaded.
"What should I do with you then?"
"Let me go?" Cassius tried with as Tuck called it, a cheeky grin.
"Sorry mate, nice try." Tuck scoffed and 'carried' Cassius over to where Hannah sat against the lockers sniffling against the tears that fought to fall. "Apologize", the brit commanded.
"W-what? No way!" Cassius shook violently, but Tuck kept his grip.
"Apologize now or I pants you and shove you outside with all your mates"
"Y-you wouldn't…" The boy whined and all he needed to do was see Tuck's expression before he was spilling apologies like a fountain.
Hannah smiled a little despite her tears and Tuck winked. The brit set the boy down, but didn't release his grip on the kid's collar. Just then Mrs. Adelai came out of her room with Joe. She didn't even need to ask, one look at Joe helping bring the young girl her crutches and she knew. "I think we'll have a little visit with Mrs. Brower Mr. Bryon." The older woman stated with an eyebrow raise.
"Bu-but I'll be expelled."
"Well then you'll have some explaining to do to your parents won't you? Thank you Mr. Hansen I'll take this devil spawn from here." Mrs. Adelai sighed, grabbing Cassius's hand as Tuck let go.
The three watched as she almost dragged the boy away and they all had a laugh at the way he whined the whole way. Tuck turned to Hannah, "Alright then darling?"
"I-I th-think s-so." Hanna warbled, scrubbing at her eyes again.
"I don't see any cuts or scrapes." Joe offered with a comforting smile.
Hannah decided she liked this feeling. She decided her family should grow. She loved her mom, her grandparents and 'uncles' too. Surely there was room for a brother and father in her life. She followed the two out to the playground. If she knew anything about her mom this needed to go steady and it needed to feel real.
LCALCALCALCALCALCALCALCA
Cadence knew there was something odd about Hannah not teasing her for running late. What could her daughter be up too? She had gotten some other small jobs since moving here and one had gone long. She wasn't upset, the Harris family had been wonderful, but sometimes a 3 month old just won't look at the camera. She sighed as she stopped to get a small treat for her daughter. It wasn't often she got cookies from the bakery even if they lived close. The brunette got enough to share considering what had happened last time and then she smiled. "Matchmaker matchmaker make me a match." Cadence chuckled.
Hannah was smiling and laughing by the time her mom showed up. The girl smirked when she noticed Tuck's eyes light up as the brunette approached. She and Joe did a knuckle touch and 'wiped the dirt off their shoulders'. The brit didn't notice. He was stuck on the sway of her hips in that skirt or the loose hairs hanging around her slender throat. Her subtle smile as she approached didn't hurt.
"You could have told me you wanted to hang out with your friend…Mr. Hansen I can't thank your son enough", Cadence sighed lightly.
"Tuck, luv please."
"Cadence then and may I say that accent is…wow?"
"Not to sound like a stuck up wanker, but I've been told", Tuck laughed and she flashed a bigger smile.
"Mo-om are those…cookies?" Hannah hated to break the moment, but she recognized the bag her mother was holding.
"What? Oh yes, um Tuck you and Joe are welcome to have one too a small token of thanks." Cadence offered sheepishly.
"Can we dad?" Joe pleaded.
"Yeah Spudley."
"Yay, thanks Hannah's mom." Joe cheered, picking out two chocolate chip and handing one to his dad.
"So Joe here tells me they have a class project together", Tuck stated slyly, secretly hoping to strengthen the connection and conversation between them.
~LCA~
Over the next two weeks it had become a routine that they met after school. So much so that Cadence became a regular at the bakery and Tuck at the local Starbucks. Tuck could tell by her relaxed nature as she sipped her iced Macchiato that he was going about this the right way. Even though he yearned to kiss the caramel from her lips he would take this slow. The brit smiled as she waved at his son while she walked up with the familiar bag in her hands. He pulled Hannah's swing back and the girl squealed. "Mr….Hansen!"
"She's a bit taken with you I think…her father was…" Cadence tapered off and turned away as Tuck sat next to her.
"She's a lovely lovely girl, with a great mum." Tuck replied brightly and she turned back to him.
"Tuck I need to be honest with you." Cadence stated suddenly.
"Ok go on then."
He was smiling as he said it and that made her chest feel a little lighter. "I…I really like this Tuck, I like you, your wonderful son, and I like how we…Hannah and I are around you…"
"Am I right that there's a 'but' coming darling?"
"My husband her father was abusive, he never hurt Hannah I can at least say that much…point is I've been hurt Tuck and I'm afraid. I'm not lying when I say I like you…I hope you like us…me too, but I just got my life back to where it's good…and I…"
"Luv I get it and trust me Joe likes you two as do I and I like 'you' a lot. I won't lie I'm wicked attracted to you, but if you need slow then we take it slow yeah?"
She rewarded him with a beautiful smile and scooted closer to him. Reaching out for his hand she giggled when he gasped it and placed a kiss on her knuckles.
LCALCALCALCALCALCALCALCA
"They're coming to one of Joe's practices? That's great buddy." FDR cheered as they sat on Tuck's couch. They were having a 'guys' night with pizza beer and the latest Rambo movie.
"She's really worth it this one, I don't know mate. I just have this feeling."
FDR smiled, "Happy to hear, so this kid of yours is quite the matchmaker hmm?"
"Her daughter had a hand in it too, ironically so does their teacher."
"How's that?"
"Mrs. Adelai paired them together for their class project."
~LCA~
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I fail to see why you're so upset Katie luv."
"Oh don't luv me so now our son is a way for you to get a date? Its pathetic."
"She's his partner's bloody mother not my date."
"So she's the desperate one then, typical go in flaunting those baby blues and that accent who wouldn't be right?"
"Katie what is you're problem? You bloody well moved on with Greg, can't I be happy too?"
"So she is your date?"
"No for the last time, Joe invited Hannah and her Mother end of story yeah?"
~LCA~
Tuck drove home in a foul mood. So what if he thought of it like a date. They hadn't even kissed and he found himself craving her in more carnal ways already. He would respect her though, even if it took every inch of him to do it. Katie didn't even know about his dating war for Lauren. How the hell did she find out about this? He felt somewhat sick, the last real date he had had with Lauren, he essentially used his son. It wasn't even about the relationship he could gain at that point. When FDR had pulled the whole 'family' dinner some part of him had known it was over. He had a spark of hope when she had called, which he later found out was to let him know she had picked FDR. He had tried to restart things with Katie, but after a few months that fell apart and he hadn't dated since. Now he felt ready and maybe slow was what he needed too. If only the rest of him would listen.
To be continued…
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Thoughts? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. I hope the bullying scene wasn't too much of an offput and I can say it get's a lot better, we won't be seeing Cassius much more if at all. I really do HEART you ALL!