"And there she is." Rick Swearingen, the boys' gym teacher, had spotted Sydney as soon as she turned the corner. Sydney had gone to school extra early and she was just trying to get to the office to make some copies of the day's test.

Her stomach dropped and she did her best not to roll her eyes. She didn't care for Rick, never had. He had been hitting on her ever since the Christmas party when he caused her to get a little tipsy. "Morning, Rick," she said as politely as she could.

"How was your weekend?"

"Fine, yours?"

He smiled and it made Sydney cringe inside. She knew what was coming next. "It could have been so much better for both of us." He winked at her. "One day, you're going to get curious and say yes when I ask you out."

"Rick, I think I've been pretty clear that you aren't my type."

He ignored her statement. "Saw Gardner go in your room and close the door last week. He harassing you? I could put a stop…"

"No, he isn't." But you are! She had to cover herself. "I got some bad news that morning, he was an ear; helped me gather myself together." It was mostly true.

"Sydney, you can always come to me." He walked closer to her and she found herself wishing that someone would appear in the hallway. He made her painfully uncomfortable.

"You don't talk to me except to ask me out…"

"Say yes and I'll stop asking."

"No." She couldn't place why, but her heart began to race. "Look, I have to go."

"No classes to get to yet, no students…" He was in her personal space. "…why don't you just tell me why the idea's so bad, hm?"

Sydney unconsciously backed up and found herself against the wall. "Rick, I don't know how much more clear I can be. I'm not interested, period. I've never gone for jocks, not even when I was in high school""

"You seemed interested at the Christmas party."

Her eyes went wide. "Seriously? You had a hand in getting me drunk – that's interested to you?"

His voice was calm, which made it all the more unnerving. "Stop being such a prissy little bitch and just go out with me. I'm a good time."

Her eyes went wide and she made to move away from him. "I'm…a what?" Rick's hand was on her arm. "You absolutely do not touch me!" She pulled, but he didn't let go, he only tightened his grip.

"I have an inkling that you like it rough and that you're a hell of a tease…"

"You're disgusting, let go of me!" Sydney's voiced echoed down the hallway.

Nathan dropped his messenger bag and his coffee and ran. He was around the corner, five classrooms away. When he rounded the corner and saw Rick, now with both of his hands on Sydney, and tried his very best not to see red. "Back the fuck away," he said keeping his tone somewhat cool.

"This is none of your business, Gardner."

"Get your hands off of her, Rick."

"We're fine, she was just telling me that she's looking forward to our date," he squeezed harder, threatening her, "isn't that right?" She cried out at the pain in her arm and that was it. Nathan, shorter than the man accosting the woman he loved, raised his hands and Rick laughed. "You really think…" Nathan hit him in the side, just below his ribs. "The fuck…" he coughed, letting go of Sydney. She took several steps away and shook her head.

"Syd, you okay?" Nathan asked. She nodded.

"You little fuck, Gardner, I'm gonna mess you…"

"Jesus, Rick, what's wrong with you?" Sydney asked.

Nathan smiled. "Rick here likes to juice from time to time, don't you?" Rick didn't answer. "Was a bit of a problem when I was principal, but my concerns were always overruled by Sedgwick."

"I'm gonna beat the living…" Rick threw a punch, which Nathan blocked with almost no effort at all. He threw another and Nathan blocked again, anger welling up inside him.

"Nathan…" Sydney's voice sounded like it was miles away.

"You never touch a woman that doesn't want to be touched," he said through gritted teeth. "Especially not her."

"Aw, you have a little crush, Gardner?" Rick laughed. "If the little bitch won't touch me…" He wasn't able to say another word, as Nathan's fist connected with his jaw, making the man stumble backwards. He tried to retaliate, but thanks to Nathan's training, he was too quick for the bigger man. Nathan landed several more blows before he backed off, shaking.

"You never even look in her direction again, you shit." He turned on his heel, taking Sydney's hand. Rick didn't see the action. They hurried down to Nathan's room, picking up his bag on the way, and Nathan shut the door behind him. "Baby, are you okay?" Sydney nodded, but didn't speak. "Fucking asshole…God, Syd, I'm so sorry."

"Nathan it wasn't your fault." She rubbed at her arm.

Nathan frowned. "Let me see." He rolled up the arm of her sweater and saw red marks. "If he ever touches you again, I'll kill him." Sydney suddenly looked…shy. "Oh, fuck…did I just…am I as bad as…"

A smile slowly crept onto her face. "I know how this is going to sound, but, Nathan…I've never had someone defend me before." She went to him and caressed his cheek. "Thank you." She kissed him, very softly, then whispered in his ear. "I must be an old fashioned girl because I just went from being terrified to…well, I've never been more turned on."

Nathan smiled despite the situation. "I'm…a bit protective."

"I like that."

"Joe's not back until tomorrow. He's at a conference today, but we're going to his office first thing in the morning, okay?"

"I don't want you getting into trouble because of me."

Nathan's eyes softened. "Baby, there is no way I'm getting in trouble for that. He had his hands on you and I heard you yell. It's not the first time he's been…" He sighed. "I tried so hard to get him fired before. Syd, I am so sorry."

"I'm okay, really. I've had to deal with creepers before…just not ones with that sort of grip." She hugged him resting her head on his shoulder. "Remind me to send a thank you card to Sifu Wess. I have two things to be grateful for now."

"Two?"

"Mm hm." She smiled as they stood together, his arms so safe, now always there to protect. "More importantly, are you okay? Your hands?"

"I never thought I'd have to use it outside of the studio," Nathan confessed. "I'm fine. Little sore, but most guys break their knuckles because they don't know what their doing."

"Well, let me know if you need me to tend to anything later." She kissed his cheek and reluctantly pulled away. "Kids'll be here in ten."

"I love you," Nathan said, the words almost desperate.

Sydney let her smile widen. "I love you too, Nathan…please don't worry, you didn't scare me." She saw the relief in his eyes. "See you at lunch."

It was near the end of seventh period when Nathan's phone rang. His students were taking a test and his stomach dropped when he saw he last name on the small LCD screen: "Sedgwick." Fuck… "Yes?" he answered quietly, as to not disturb the class.

"My office, now," the superintendent barked.

"I'm in class."

"Get someone to watch them, I want you down here in five minutes." He hung up.

Nathan's first thought was to ask Sydney to keep an ear on the class, but having an idea of what was going on, he decided against it. He went next door to Madelyn's room – seventh period was her planning time. He was vague and told her he had a meeting and it couldn't wait. She gladly went to his room and Nathan made his way to the other side of the building.

When he arrived in Sedgwick's office, Rick was seated in front of the man's desk, just as Nathan had assumed. His face had started to bruise and Nathan couldn't help but feel satisfied at the sight. He didn't let any emotions show. "Well, I'm glad you ran straight here, Rick," he said, his tone flat.

"Nathan, I'm not sure what probation means to you," Sedgwick began, "but I thought you were smart enough to know that beating up a co-worker…"

"Whoa, I wouldn't say he beat me up," Rick interrupted. "Cheap shots, that's more accurate."

Sedgwick rolled his eyes. "Whichever it may have been, the act is inexcusable. What on earth would possess you to…"

"I'm assuming he told you half the story, and not the part with the truth, right?" Nathan asked. He heard the bell ring, ending the last period of the day. "He had his hands on Sydney Turner, I could hear her yell from down the hall…"

"Hey, Maddie," Sydney said, confused, walking into Nathan's room. She made up a lie on the spot. "Nathan and I were supposed to work on a project for Mr. Hawkins after school, is he not here?"

Maddie smiled and shrugged. "I was covering last period, he had a meeting he had to get to. I have a feeling he'll be a while, it seemed important."

Knowing Joe wasn't in today, Sydney didn't think it could have had anything to do with that morning's incident. She had never even considered the superintendent getting involved. "Okay, guess I'll just head home then." She went back to her room, sent a text to Nathan for him to call her, and left the building.

"Nathan, that isn't exactly what Rick described," Sedgwick said.

"I'm sorry, since when has his word meant anything?"

"Nathan, it's not a secret that the two of you have never gotten along…you did try to get him fired on more than one occasion."

"Because of his little steroid problem, sure…"

"This coming from a drunk," Rick snapped, a sickening smile on his face.

"You failed the drug test! I saw the results that magically got swept under the rug thanks to a winning football season…"

"Nathan," Sedgwick interrupted. "Miss Turner hasn't reported anything…"

"I told her to talk to Joe in the morning. I didn't think…"

"You never do," Sedgwick commented. "That's obvious buy the fact that your daughter is still seeing the student that got you fired."

Nathan's blood began to boil. "Leave my daughter out of this."

"The fact of the matter is that you have poor judgment, Nathan. I was against you coming back here at all, but Joe fought for you, insisting…"

"This asshole is more important to you than I am, I get it," Nathan seethed. "He can put plastic trophies in the cases in the hallway, I just get the students with more then brawn into college. That doesn't mean he wasn't accosting a female teacher in the hallway. Just call her in here, it's as easy as that."

Sedgwick shook his head. "Miss Turner didn't punch Rick, you did."

"You have to be fucking kidding me!" Nathan shouted, his temper getting the best of him. "He hurt her and all that matters is that I gave him exactly what he had coming to him?"

"You can see my concern here, Nathan," Sedgwick replied, ignoring the man's temper. "I didn't want to have to bring this up, but Rick said he could smell your breath this morning."

Nathan stood, pushing his chair backwards and toppling it over. "You lying sack of shit! I haven't touched a drop of anything in almost five months! I've gotten myself together and this is what I get? Adam, what is your problem with me?"

"As I've already said, I don't trust your judgment, Nathan!" The superintendent was letting his true colors show. "Look at how you're acting!"

"I don't have the right to be angry? I did what was right…" He was beginning to understand that nothing he could say would matter.

"He's been trying to get her to go out with him for months," Rick said, trying to make the situation as bad as he could. "Being assigned as her mentor, that's probably not the best thing, right?"

"Joe has you acting as a mentor?" Sedgwick asked. "This just keeps getting better."

Nathan's face was red. "The grades in my classes are excellent, Joe has Miss Turner and I working on a mentoring program to get student teachers back here, and I haven't had a drink since the day after you fired me. If you are going to take his word over mine…if you aren't even going to attempt to talk to the person who he assaulted, I'm going to the board."

"This is a waste of time," Rick said. "Can't this just be his third strike?"

"You go to the board, Nathan, and they'll eat you alive. They will bring up every ugly bit of your past."

Nathan felt sick to his stomach. Everything…shit… He thought of Susan, of so many things he never told her…then he thought of Sydney. He could loose her over this for so many different reasons…but he promised to protect her. "Let them." He left the office, trying to see his way back to his room through his rage. The halls were empty – the lack of real conversation in Sedgwick's office had taken over an hour. He locked himself in his room, forcing himself to stay away from the one temptation he wanted so badly.