The Academy

Forty Two

Tink:

"Can I sleep on your couch?" Jace asks, his eyes still puffy and red from all of the crying. I nod silently, not sure what to say but wanting to help. I hug him and Jace holds me tight, as if curling in on himself. "I'm a hunter, giant give her stable. That's why I need her, for my stability. God, I can't freaking handle myself anymore. I need her Tink. I really do," he sobs, crying on my shoulder. "I know pumpkin," I sigh, my bottom lip trembling. "I need something stable! Who does she think she is?!" I demand to no one in particular, just to the leather jacket I am being pressed into. "She was just stating her case. Don't be angry with her Tinkerbell," Jace says, stepping back and hanging his coat back on the rack.

"No, I will be angry with whomever I want to be! Rose may be my sister but she also knows exactly how to use her subtle words, she knows how to let a guy down easy and if she thinks that she can be blunt with you and tell you that what she needs, not wants!, is exactly what you can't give her, she is about to think so much differently next time she breaks up with you or any guy," I rant, breaking down at the sight of my best friend, my brother in arms, sobbing his heart out.

"What we don't do is whatever Tink thinks is appropriate in this situation. What you need to do is show her how 'stable'," you know Peter is angry when he uses finger quotes, "her life is without you. Then you ask her to Prom at the end of those two weeks. Don't do anything elaborate, just ask. Next you see how it goes from there. And yes, you can stay here for two weeks. I'll let Logan know," Peter says, wrapping his arms around me from behind. Jace nods and thanks Peter before going into the living room and laying down on the couch. He looks like something from a Tim Burton movie because of the way his legs are sticking up from one end and his head hanging off the other end.

"Time for bed?" Peter asks in my ear and tickling my sides. I shake my head and go call Logan from the kitchen phone. When I am done I turn around to see Peter getting out the electric mixer. "Are you seriously stress baking because of my sister's relationship?" I ask, sitting on the counter beside where he is working. "No, I am stress baking because of Jace's relationship," he says, playfully rolling his eyes. "Is it cinnamon rolls?" I ask. I can feel my eyes widening and Peter laughs. "Of course it is," he says, rolling the dough. I smile and then hear Samantha start crying. "Its okay baby, uncle Jace is on the way," Jace says, hopping up from the couch and practically running to the bedroom.

"Should we intervene?" I question, not wanting to go in there and get my baby because she has stopped crying. "No, she sounds okay. She didn't wake up Nathan," Peter shrugs, throwing the cinnamon rolls in the oven. "You ask so many questions about how I was raised, my childhood and all that crappy stuff, so I did some digging and found a way to tell you. It's really more like showing you but still. Once it starts I cannot make it stop," Peter says, standing in front of my and moving my legs to his sides. I smile when he leans his forehead against mine. "Okay, what do we have to do?" I ask. "Well I want to be sure that you want to go through with this. Viewer discretion is advised. It's not as pretty as you hope," Peter says, his tone and attitude making it very clear that it is a warning. "Is this any easier for you instead of talking about it all the time?" I question, noticing the shade of dark green his eyes have turned.

"Yeah. We can just get it over with," Peter sighs, placing a hand on the cabinet behind my head. "If you are uncomfortable, I'm sure I can live with out knowing. I've gone this long," I shrug. "No, I want to do this for you. I can live through it if this is really what you want," Peter says. "Well I don't want it if you don't want it," I say. "Gosh, just shut up and kiss me," he chuckles, leaning in. I try to talk him out of it, leaning away and to the right but his arm is still there. He kisses me and a field that I've seen lots of times pops into my mind. "This is the only time I am going to be able to talk to you while telling you my story. When I say telling, I mean showing because you will be viewing from an invisible third view. If at anytime you need to take a break, just pull away. Here we go," he says, just like in the movie.

Suddenly it's blank again. Experimentally, I pull away from Peter and my mind is dark. I open my eyes and he is looking at me already. "Just checking it out. Am I going to be able to hear what's going on around me?" I ask, putting my elbows on his shoulders and my hands in his hair. He nods and moves his arms to my waist before kissing me again. I'm sitting high up in the rafters of a small cabin. There is a man and a sick woman, a boy enters from the door and I recognize Peter's giant, vibrant green eyes. I say his name, explaining things to myself out loud has always helped. No one looks over at me and I smile. I guess it's working.

"Peter, did you get it?" The man asks rushing over. "No father, the market has been closed since night fall and no one in town was selling it," Little Peter explains. The man's hand whips out and sends Peter to the ground. "Stupid boy, can't you see your mother is dying?!" The man demands, roughly grabbing Peter's arm and hauling him back to his feet. "Yes Father, I did my best," Peter says. "Do the best of someone better!" His father yells, grabbing his collar and going to the door. He tosses Peter out and slams the door behind him.

Another memory sparks, this one when Peter was much older, seventeen, maybe eighteen. He almost looks like he does now. I say his name again, establishing the shadow of a man in the corner to be his father. "Father," he groans. The smell of alcohol hits me hard and causes his nose to wrinkle. All I can think about is how much I want Peter to get out of there. "Don't use that tone with me boy," his father instructs, rising from his chair. Get out Peter. "Stop drinking and maybe I wouldn't have to," Peter argues. Wrong answer baby. You do not argue with a drinker about his drinking. That answer and smart tone earns him a punch to the lip. Peter spits out blood and nods. "Nice one dad, can't go and get your booze like this," Peter says. Shut up Peter! "Don't get smart with me," his father says, slamming the bottle down so hard it breaks. I say Peter's name, trying to get him to leave but like in horror movies, he can't hear me. His father punches him straight up the gut and I wince, tears sting my eyes as the punches continue to come. Peter doesn't even try to fight back.

I pull back from Peter and quickly hug him. Peter hugs me back. "Hey, look, I'm okay now. We're okay. It wasn't even that bad. It looks way worse than it felt," he says, brushing my hair out of my eyes. He hugs me again, moving to get to my ear. "Another thing, if you don't stop saying my name every time you recognize me in a shot, we are going to get through this so much faster than you want to." When he talks he uses this low, soft voice that I definitely wouldn't want him using if we were around my father. I groan and slide off the counter, not realizing how close Peter actually was. I have to look up to properly look at him and when I do he is smiling.

"That was a very inappropriate comment," I mutter, looking away from him. He grins childishly and laughs. "Why else would I say something like that?" He asks, clicking off the timer and moving away from me. I jump at the sound of the phone and Peter smiles again, setting the baking sheet of cinnamon rolls down and picking up the phone. "Hey Logan," he says, standing centimeters away from me on purpose. "Oh my god, you really need to stop," I mutter, passing him and going to the fridge. He smacks my butt as I leave the room and I turn around, honestly a little shocked. "What the hell?" I whisper. "Hang on a sec, Tink is being needy. You know how she is," he says into the receiver and I can hear my dad laugh.

"For my bachelor party Jace, Dean, Logan, Sam and I went to the strip club. You can learn a few things watching Dean," Peter shrugs. "Oh my god. One: You went where?! Two: I am not a stripper. Three: You learned that from Dean?! Four, Five, and Six: You went where?!" I demand, crossing my arms. "Hey, Logan I'm gonna have to call you back later," Peter says, putting the phone down. "It's what normal guys do," Peter says, dragging me against his chest. "No, please just don't touch me right now," I say, pushing him away and going into our bedroom. Sam as fallen back asleep and Jace leaves the room when I come in.