Friday Barnes one shots

Missy and Oliver 3

It had been 6 weeks since Ian had dropped his only daughter off at Highcrest Academy and he was miserable.

For as long as he could remember it had just been the two of them, getting up to no good and being silly. They had had a routine after they finished work and school. They would do the rest of their work, get changed into comfy clothes and make dinner, screaming to songs at the top of their lungs.

He didn't have that anymore. The apartment felt empty without her.

His phone rang and he picked it up, half heartedly saying "hello?"

"Hello Ian, lovely to hear you again after all these years," a familiar voice said.

Ian sat up straighter, "Dr Belcredi, hello, how are you?"

"I'm good. Im good..." she said, sounding detracted.

Ian knew she wasn't calling for a catch up. "I'm assuming something happened with Malissa."

Missy was always in detention so he already thought he knew what was coming.

"I wanted to tell you myself. Malissa has been in a fight. A bad one." Dr Belcredi said.

"What?"

"She punched a fourth form boy in the eye and badly bruised it. We're holding her in the sick room. She didn't necessarily win, either."

Ian stood up, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you."

She hung up and Ian bolted for the door of the office.

______________

When Ian got to Highcrest, he signed in and ran down the admin block to the sick room.

The room was chaos. Oliver Barnes was arguing with Dr Belcredi, a woman and a tall man were consoling a boy on one bed with a black eye, and a nurse was running back and forth between people and beds.

Then he saw his girl.

She was sitting on the edge of a bed, head hung. She was still in her soccer uniform but her boots were on the floor next to her backpack.

Ian went over to her. "Malissa what happened?" He asked, putting his coat on the edge of the bed.

She wouldn't look at him. "Nothing."

He crouched on the floor in front of her so she had to look at him. "Oh my god."

There was blood all over her shirt that had come from her now black and blue nose. There were lots of cuts on her face and a big purple bruise on her neck.

"I'm fine." She told him, watching as he stared at her.

"You are not fine! Why did this happen?" He yelled.

She flinched at the volume of his voice.

He felt bad. Quieted he asked, "Just, why did this happen? What was worth getting into a fight over?"

She glanced at Oliver who was still arguing with Dr Belcredi.

Now Ian understood. Someone had said something about Oliver.

"Someone said something about Oliver, didn't they?" He asked.

"He was talking shit and spilling lies about him to anyone who would listen. And nobody would stop him." She said, almost yelling.

Ian nodded, "while you know that violence isn't the best way to handle things, I'm proud of you."

She looked at him, confused. "What? Really?"

Ian nodded standing up. "You stood up for what's right and protected Barnes, that takes guts."

He kissed the top of her head.

"So I have no punishment?" She asked hopefully.

"Oh god no, you're so grounded." He laughed. "I'm gonna go sign you out."

She pouted but didn't look shocked. She knew harm wasn't how they dealt with things.

When Ian walked past, he heard what Oliver was arguing about.

"It wasn't her fault! She was protecting me. Suspend me!" He said, practically yelling.

Dr Belcredi shook her head, "Wainscott still hurt somebody, protection or not, she will be suspended."

Ian put his hand on Oliver's shoulder. "Thank you, but Missy will be fine. She's always getting into trouble."

Missy had wandered over. "Yeah, besides, I get a three week holiday."

It took almost an hour to sort everything out. Ian had to understand the rules of her suspension and give a formal apology to the parents of the boy.

Just as they were leaving, the boy muttered, "Wainscotts don't belong here, go back to the hole you climbed out of."

Missy spun around and landed a hard punch in the boys other eye.

Ian grabbed Missy under the arms and dragged her out of the admin building, everyone yelling at each other, nobody watching them.

"Run." He told her.

She looked at him. "What!?"

"Go. Go, go, go." They bolted to the back of the building and fell onto the brick wall.

All it took was eye contact for them to laugh.

"You just added another week to your punishment." He said. Then he took her backpack from her and slung it over his shoulder. "Good aim by the way."