Teaching Mr. Cooper

Chapter 19

Author's Note: Ok, so this chapter I kind of went off on a tangent. Some background info on Daniel. Let me know what you think.

Daniel opened his mouth to say something but closed it again, since she hadn't waited for a response. Rubbing his hands across his face, Daniel let out a frustrated sigh and turned to his class to gather up his papers.

It was crazy how jumbled up he felt inside. It was like he had never been been attracted to someone before. He tried to tell himself it was only because she was the proverbial forbidden fruit that he couldn't get his mind off of her. The way she walked into a room, or brought her hand up to her mouth when she was deep in thought. It wasn't just her looks, though, he loved listening to her insights on whatever they were studying in class. Other teacher's had commented on her comments in their class, whether it was poetry or psychology, she had this intuitive way about her. She seemed to get the way other people thought or felt, but she also seemed forever removed from them.

Her experience had given her a front row seat on human frailty, it gave her wisdom beyond her years and a pervading sadness, even when she smiled. But Daniel thought that beneath it all, there was still hope. And that, more than anything, made it impossible to walk away from her.

Daniel drove around the city, looking to clear his head. The city lights reflecting against the river as his Jeep hugged the curves of the road. Eventually he arrived in a familiar neighbourhood and pulled up to a cute little house, complete with picket fence. Daniel smiled as he saw the lights on and movement in the windows.

Walking up to the front door, he knocked and an attractive young woman appeared at the door. "Daniel, come in."

--- --- ---

Inside, the footsteps of little feet came pounding into the room. "Uncle Daniel! Uncle Daniel!" Two small boys ran and grabbed his legs, squeezing tight.

"Hey kiddos!" Daniel laughed and ruffled their hair.

Leaning against a doorframe, the woman watched as Daniel rough housed with the two boys before depositing them both on the living room sofa. "So Daniel," she said as they headed into the kitchen, "what's on your mind?"

Daniel looked up at his friend, "What makes you think there's something on my mind?"

The woman studied him with soft, warm eyes, "You know you're always welcome here. The boys love you, but you haven't just dropped by in a while. And I think I know you well enough to know when somethings up."

Daniel smirked but didn't deny it. "How are the boys? They treating you well?" Daniel asked changing the subject and looking back over his shoulder to the living room.

"They're good. They keep me busy," she shrugs, then runs her hand through her short, blonde waves. "They missed having you around."

"I'm sorry Christine, since school started I've kind of gotten distracted. I can stay and help get the kids to bed tonight. Then maybe we can do something next weekend."

The boys heard that Daniel was staying till bedtime and ran to tackle him again. "Can you read us bedtime stories too?"

"And do the voices!" the youngest one, of about five, added.

Laughing, Daniel tickled them until they released him. "Go get your pj's on and teeth brushed and we'll meet in the bedroom."

An hour later, and the kids were all tucked in, teeth were brushed and stories read, Daniel and Christine came downstairs and plopped on the couch. "So, you gonna talk about it now?" Christine asked.

Sighing, Daniel turned to face her. "I really did want to see you and the boys. I've meant to do it sooner." Christine nodded and raised an eyebrow waiting for him to get back to her question. "I don't know where to start..."

Daniel told her about the girl in the coffee shop, about driving her home and about her being his student. He hadn't intended to tell her everything but once he started, he couldn't seem to stop, the words just kept coming and Christine listened to it all. She nodded, asked the odd question but never gave her opinion, not until he had finished.

"So, now you want to know what to do? You want me to give you the answer, right?" Christine asked. Daniel didn't respond but waited for her thoughts. If there was one thing he could count on, it was her honesty, even if it was brutal. Instead, she shook her head, "Not going to happen. If you want to know what the right thing to do is... well, we both know you already know the answer to that. Does it change anything that you first met outside of school? Maybe to you, but I doubt anyone else will see it that way. In a months time, at least you'll only have your career to worry about and not the jail time of currupting a minor. But that's not the only consideration, is it?"

Daniel listened as she said the same things he already knew. And of course she got right to the point. Daniel trusted her opinion far more than he trusted his own at this point. She was the type of woman he admired and, maybe if life had been different, he could have seen himself with her. She was beautiful and caring and all the things he could have wanted in a partner. But she met his brother first, the brother he rarely talked about.

Peter was two years older than him and they had always been pretty competitive, Josh was the baby of the family and is only now in his last year of college. So it wasn't a big surprise that Peter was particularly wary about the friendship Christine and Daniel had, even though Peter had been dating her for two years. After Peter and Christine were married, Peter's jealously didn't stop. One night Peter and Daniel had it out and after that, Daniel stayed away. It wasn't until three years later when Peter was killed in a car accident, that Daniel got to be a part of his nephews lives.

Christine snapped her fingers in front of his face, "Hey."

Daniel shook his head, "Yeah, sorry I'm listening."

"So, then what's the best thing for her? As a teacher, you have to put aside what you might want and even what she wants to an extent. What does she need? The wisest course would be to get her a new teacher, but it sounds like she is already dealing with abandonment issues. She's need adults she can trust. I get that you don't want to give up on her but can you honestly say that you can keep this a strictly teacher/student relationship?" Christine sat there studying his face, Daniel wasn't the type of person to struggle with moral dilemmas, he always seemed so sure of himself, of what was right and wrong. Either this girl was really special or he had truly begun to lose his mind.

Daniel ran his hands through his hair for what must have been the tenth time. "God, I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. I know what you're saying, and I would never want to take advantage of a student, but she doesn't feel like a student. I was never so focused at her age. She knows what she wants and is determined to get, and the last thing she wants is distraction. I, also, keep thinking that raising her own sister is too big of a burden for someone who hasn't truly lived yet."

Christine shifted in her seat, thinking about her own kids. "I have to disagree with you there. Yes, it's a huge responsibility, but I had kids right out of college. Sure, there were things that I may have wanted to do, but there's still time. I wouldn't trade my boys for anything in the world. Family is everything to me, I didn't appreciate that when I was growing up, and now it's too late. But at least I can appreciate what I still have." Daniel nodded, watching as her expression changed and her thoughts drew inward.

When Christine lost her husband, she had been a rock. Her boys needed her and she never let them down, but there was a melencholy that would show itself in the quiet evenings after the boys were asleep. It was late, so Daniel rose and then gently pulled Christine up and into a comfortable hug. Taking her chin in his fingers, he says gently, "I should go. You'll be ok?"

Smiling, despite herself, she nodded. "I'll be fine. Thanks for the visit," she said as she walked him to the door. "Don't be a stranger, alright?" Daniel nodded and said goodnight, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, before heading back down the sidewalk to his Jeep.