Cobra Kai: A Family Affair

30

Everybody's life returned to normal whilst the trial was adjourned until Jace and Alec received approval from the US Navy and JAG to discuss their jobs.

Tory and Mike returned to Miyagi Fang and Cobra Kai respectively.

"How have things been?" Tory asked her friends; they had kept their promise to be the ones to deal with Cobra Kai whilst Tory was busy grieving for her mother and then with the custody battle.
"Quiet." Hawk said almost disappointed.
"Do you think they took a break too?" Sam asked.
"Maybe." Tory said. She did have hope for Kyler and Piper and some of her other old friends, and she knew Robby was hoping that Kenny was still a good person too. "I can see your dad demanding they don't do anything." Miguel said. 'Yeah, but he's been busy with court. If they wanted to do something they would've done it when he wasn't there." Tory theorised.

"Everybody fall in!" Chozen called beginning the class.

For the first half of the lesson Johnny had them lined up to take turns practicing combos on the punching bag; when it was Tory's turn she finished with a powerful kick making the bag swing hard. "Nice one Nichols!" Johnny called before leaning over to Daniel and quietly saying "You think she's working out some aggression?"

The second half of the lesson consisted of sparring and Tory continued impressing her fellow students and Senseis. "What?" She questioned after looking up from kicking Sam back across the sparring deck, almost making her fall off the edge but the experienced Miyagi-Do fighter was able to regain her balance at the last moment. "Remind me to never fight you on top of a cliff." Sam commented laughing. "Ah." Tory realised. Just because she hadn't been attending class didn't mean she hadn't been practicing "Alec won't let Jace go to any fight clubs until the trial's over so he has to use other methods to blow off steam."
"He's been teaching you?" Daniel asked.
"Aggressively training, is probably more accurate."
"He seems like a very scary teacher." Johnny commented.
"Well, he'd never put me in a cement truck," She replied looking at Johnny "but he would throw me in a cage fight."
"Oh! My dad done that too." Miguel exclaimed holding his hand up for a high five which Tory reciprocated.

/ /

Whilst the trial was on hold, Judge Kane permitted the psychological evaluations to go ahead in the meantime. Alec had warned Tory and Jace to be careful of their wording when they explained to Brandon what was going to happen - children weren't always the greatest secret keepers and they couldn't be seen as trying to sway his decision.

Tory might have gotten used to and mostly enjoy her weekly therapy visits to Dr. Hillier, however she did not enjoy this psychological evaluation and what she felt the doctor was insinuating:

"What if one of your brothers came home with a severe injury?"
"What?" She said at the abrupt question.
"Jace and Alec are soldiers-"
"Sailors." Tory corrected. She'd heard her brothers do it so many times that it had become natural to her.
"Right, sailors, they are at risk of being shot or blown up, potentially paralysing them or causing them to lose a limb. How would you feel if they came home like that? So injured that you would have to take care of them, like you took care of your mother?"
Tory was shocked and taken aback at the doctor's full question, she was slightly upset but trying not to show it and therefore adopted her usual tough defensive persona "Whose side are you on?" She questioned thinking that her father had taken a page out of Silver's book and paid the doctor to vote in his favour. The doctor opened his mouth to answer but Tory never gave him a chance "Because it feels like you're trying to advocate that Jace and Alec wouldn't be suitable guardians!"
"Tory, I promise you, I am on your side, yours and Brandon's. I understand this question is difficult but taking care of your mother was a heavy burden. One that wasn't good for your physical or mental health, and I would hate for you to have to go through that again."
"Yeah but I would be older and we wouldn't be alone - Jace and Alec have their parents and other siblings."
"And how do you feel about that?" The doctor interrupted her.
"Fine, they all used to visit us."
"Okay." He simply said dropping the subject for now as he realised he had riled the girl up.

"You know, it's not wrong for children to want to be with their parents. It's a natural thing, dating all the way back to caveman times. Would you like to be with your father?"
"Sure, in a perfect world were he wasn't horrible, didn't leave, and I could trust him." Tory said sarcastically however, the profiler picked up a hint of truth to her statement, noting that humour was a common defence mechanism.
"You and Jace both continued learning different fighting styles despite claiming how much you hate your father for being such a cruel teacher when you were studying under him. Surely learning martial arts reminded you of him, why did you continue to learn after he left?"
"I don't know we just liked it, is that a bad thing? Jace was treated worse than me, so it wasn't as big a deal for me."

/ /

When Tory came out of the psychologist's office she was met by her father who was sitting in one of the chairs in the waiting room. "Tory..."
"W-What are you doing here?"
"Appointment at one o'clock."
Tory looked at her phone, it read 12:53. "Oh." She said. "Have fun. He's a barrel of laughs."
"H-How are you?" Mike asked standing up but he never got a response. "Hey kid. How'd it go?" They heard Jace's mixed Californian-New York accent boom. If Tory had calculated right, they had about 5 seconds before Jace noticed their father standing there in front of her. And she was right. "What's he doing here?"
"He's next." Tory replied.
"Right. Have fun. We'll be on our way now." Jace said pushing Tory ahead and away from their father but he reached out to his daughter holding her arm gently. "I know this trial stuff is scary but you can come to me for anything. I promise I'll help."
"Let go or I will break your hand."
"Jace stop. What if this is his plan? To get you to do something wrong and screw up your chances." Tory reasoned with him.
"No plan." Mike said releasing his hold on Tory and holding both of his hands up. "You're both my children. I know I screwed up."
"Tor, go wait outside." Jace said handing her his motorcycle keys.
"Remember what Alec said." Tory reminded Jace that he couldn't hurt or kill anyone, especially their father.

Once she left Jace continued "I don't care if you know you screwed up. I had suffer through your screw ups."
"People change J.C."
"I believe that. I don't believe you did. And I'm not gonna take that chance, especially with Tory and Brandon. If you even come near them until this trial is over I will tear you apart. See you in court... Daddy." Jace harshly threw the last word over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Micheal Barnes?" The psychologist called stepping out of his office.

A/n: Yay! This is the Number 1 Keenry story again! Also, can't really believe this is the thirtieth chapter and that this story has had over 10k reads - a personal record 😱 Thank you all so much ❤️🖤