Chapter 11

Tommy's POV

For the first time in a while, I felt like I wasn't alone. After going AWOL , I didn't have anyone. Not Manny - or anyone else. Danielle was always there for me when we were younger, but that was just as a friend. Having her here with me now, was something entirely different. It was something more. I'm different than I was back then. I want different things. I look at Brendan and his family, and I think fuck... I think I want that. It sounds crazy, but I want her by my side.

Knowing me, I'll find some way to mess it up. A low mumble interrupted my train of thought.

"Hey, Tommy," She looked up at me and smiled.

"Morning."

She turned her head in the direction of the side table. "It's 3 AM, " She groaned as she moved closer to me. It was silent as we tried to fall back asleep.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzz. We opened our eyes.

"Is that you?"

"Yeah." She shoved the covers off of her legs and made her way to the floor. She dug through the pocket of her jeans. She took out her phone and looked at the name.

"Who the hell's calling you at three in the morning?"

"Um, I don't know." She swiped her phone. "Hello?"

It was silent.

She paused and shrugged. "Maybe it was the wrong number. " She added, while placing it on the side table.

10 AM

Danielle's POV

I had made breakfast: scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon and fruit salad. Like I always did when I was anxious... I was thinking. My phone was on the table and I was spinning it around. I tried not to think of the worst.

I had finished eating a while ago, but was waiting for Tommy to come back from his run. They usually lasted a long time.

Tommy was still surprisingly buff for someone who had just gotten out of prison. He had probably been working a lot while he was there. I mean, what else would someone spend their time doing in prison. I had seen plenty on cop and prison shows on A&E and stuff like that...but I couldn't imagine what it was actually like...

It was probably an outlet for him...lifting weights and running and stuff like that. I wondered if he was going to ever start fighting again.

When went out for breakfast with Brendan, he refused to work out at his gym. It was understandable I guess. I don't think he was ready to bring up anything that had to do with Sparta.

Plus, he didn't go out that much and I doubt he would turn up in a gym so soon after the tournament. He didn't want to deal with having people recognize him. I'm sure there were people who thought he was a hero and others who probably thought he was scum. I felt bad for him.

Before I even had time to notice, Tommy had already stormed in the front door and to his bedroom. I heard his drawer slam open as he took something out. I didn't know what to do, so I waited. A few seconds later, he came out and greeted me.

"Hey."

"Rough morning?"

"Yeah," He said. He was moving quickly and stopped to give me a kiss on the cheek, before he headed for the bathroom.

"My sister invited us out for dinner," I called out randomly. That was a kind of a lie - I mean technically she invited me, but I thought it would be good to get Tommy out of the apartment.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, she wants to see you again." Another lie. I had no idea if Anna even wanted to meet Tommy yet.

My sister and Tommy already knew each other, but she carefully let me know that it didn't count and that she needed to "size him up" for real, because this time was different. Whatever that meant. I figured now was a good opportunity. I just hoped Tommy would be OK with it.

Plus, I had to let her know.

Tommy was never into making friends and didn't like change very much. That's probably why he spent so much time with me when we were younger. He had plenty of friends, guys that he hung out with and got drunk with, but I was his only true friend.

It took too much effort opening up to new people.

I knew everything about him and never judged him once. He knew everything about me.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I think It was December of '92 - almost Christmas time, so it was pretty cold. The sun was about to set. I was about to turn 11 in a few months and Tommy was 12, going on 13. My mom and Tommy's mom, Carol, were cooking in the kitchen. Nothing special. Just baked chicken and mashed potatoes. Anna was 16, and only in the kitchen so she could seem more helpful in front of guests. I couldn't care less.

We were lying on the living room floor.

"You really suck at this." I was trying to figure out a stupid Rubik's cube and Tommy wasn't shy about telling me how bad I was. "Give it to me."

"No!" I protested. "How am I gonna figure this out if you don't let me try, you loser."

"Fine! Hurry up and try to figure it out before we eat." Then, the screen door slammed.

"Well, look who it is...Tommy and his little girlfriend." Brendan was heading towards us. He smelt like some horrible guy cologne. "You know his last one was a three year old."

"Fuck off, Brendan." Tommy said, making sure that he wasn't too loud. I hadn't thought of anything mean to say yet.

"I think their cute." Brendan had his arm around a younger Tess and she was resting her head on his shoulder, giggling. I remember her more clearly now. She had those same blonde waves, but she was younger...more innocent.

"Whatever." He paused."Where's mom?"

"In the kitchen." Tommy replied. "Why?"

"No reason." He said turning and heading toward the door.

"He wants to make sure he has privacy when his girlfriend is giving him a blow job."

"Danielle." My mom said sternly from the kitchen, a sign of warning. She knew I had a potty mouth, but was trying to seem more parental in front of visitors.

They both turned their heads, and Tommy gave me a high five.

"On my gosh!" Tess laughed and went towards Tommy. "What is your brother teaching her, Brendan?" .

"Hey, where do you think I learned it from?" Tommy replied, smugly.

We had just finished playing crazy eights in the kitchen. It was late, around nine o clock and my stomach was still full of food. I remember this because I threw up most of it up about 10 minutes later.

Tommy, Anna and I were all squished onto our tiny couch, watching some stupid cartoon. My mom and Mrs. Riordan were finished cleaning, so she went home to sleep. She said Tommy could stay only until Paddy came home.

"My mom hides the sodas in the basement. She'll only let us have some if you ask. " I told Tommy. He rolled his eyes, but went anyway.

"Of course Tommy. They're in the fridge downstairs." He left.

My mom was talking to my aunt on the phone, then finally hung up. I didn't hear the phone ring the second time.

"Hello?"

I remember a shatter and my sister threw me off of her and ran to the kitchen. I hit the floor, but didn't react as quickly.

I got up slowly. I didn't know what was happening. I heard screams. "Dani!" I heard my sister yell.

It all seems like a scary childhood dream now... One that you play over and over in your head and can't change. You can remember everyone else's pain and emotions, but not your own. Then, everything goes silent. I was still confused. Like a zombie, I headed toward the kitchen to see what was happening.

I don't think I really understood what was going on in that moment. My mom was bawling her eyes out and was cradling my sister in her arms. They were on the floor. I stood watching. It felt like a scene from a movie. My mom motioned for me to come closer... my mom was saying something that ws drowned out by Anna's sobbing.

"Come here, baby." She said. I didn't.

It was my dad. I knew it was my dad.

Could this really be happening to me? I know we didn't live in this best neighbourhood. I hated it so much.

He was on his way home and stopped at a convenience store. I think it was to buy me a ring pop. I loved them and I told him to never come home without one.
That explains why he was so late. I was with Tommy, that's probably why I didn't notice.

He was there during a robbery...I heard about it the next day. I think he tried to help calm the situation before it escalated...he always tried to help people.

I ran upstairs as fast as my legs could go and was planning to go to my room. I stopped right outside my door, before I threw everything up. I slowly got up and went to my bed to lie down. I think I was dizzy and I could have been crying. I don't remember.

I don't when exactly Tommy came upstairs or if he knew, but he was at my door...staring at me. I remember feeling embarrassed. I had just puked on the floor and I hoped he wouldn't laugh at me.

I never usually cried in front of Tommy. He always saw me as a tough little kid and that's who I wanted to be. I didn't look up at him, for fear of what he would say. I don't think I would have heard him anyway. The sounds were too loud.

He moved to sit on my bed and I turned my head away. He laid his head where mine was and I think he knew I was embarrassed.

He wasn't about to bullshit me and tell me everything was gonna be OK. He wasn't going to say he was sorry, like people do in the movies when someone they love dies. He skipped all sappy stuff and got straight to the point.

"You know can cry in front of me Danielle." They way he said my name sounded nice and calming.

I had almost forgotten what a sweetheart he could be.

A/N: Edited.