Which is my parent?

Chapter 11: Maria Kelly

We walked into the house I used to call home. Nothing had really changed. 
"Anna, you can go to Maria's room. Down the hall, first door on your right." TT told her and helped me into the bathroom. 
He closed the door behind us and then grabbed a bunch of things from under the sink and from the mirror cabinet. 
"He got you good." He said putting peroxide on the gash on my temple. 
"I got him worse." I said. TT laughed. 
"Why didn't you tell me it was this bad." 
"I didn't want to you get involved. You've already done enough for me without having to be brought into another one of my problem." 
"Oh M, this is my fault. I was the one who told you to get rid of his sister and when she she died I had no idea he would come after you. I told you to do it."  
"No you told me to get rid of her, not throw her ass in jail." 
"That's true but I figured that's what you were going to do, I knew you wouldn't kill her, that isn't who you are. Why do you think I have kept you out of all of this? Plus, you are the only one who is able to disobey me and live." He joked. 
"Don't I know it." I smiled at him. "I snapped on my mother today." I said, taking a more serious tone, while looking at the floor.  "She got me so mad I just lost it. I feel really bad but she told me she wanted to change, wanted to be better." I spilled. 
"M you know she's said that before." 
"I know." 
He cleaned my cuts. "Okay so you're gonna have a few nasty bruises but no stitches." 
"Thank God." I walked back into my room and he hadn't changed a thing in the six month since I've been gone. 
Still the same from the bed spread to the wallpaper and the little trinkets on the dressers. 
TT came back in a gave me one of his sweater. He knows how much I love his sweaters.
Plus, I took all my clothes from here and brought them with me back to my mother's place.
He was my best friend - the one person who has never left me, other than Anna of course, but TT was the first one. 
Anna and I went into the kitchen and he had made us food. 
"Thanks, I haven't eaten since breakfast." I told him. 

After a few hours Anna went and crashed in my bed. I was sitting in the living room with TT. 
"He's not going to stop is he?" I asked sipping a beer. Yeah I know I'm not twenty one but who waits till their twenty one to drink? 
"Probably not no." TT was never one to sugar coat things. I liked that about him. 
 "He's not going to stop until he has my head on a plate. He's going to kill me." I realized. 
"I won't let him kill you." TT promised. "You got me out of some dark places. I probably would be a murdering drug dealer on the FBI and CIA's most wanted list if you hadn't stumbled into my life. You keep me sane, you are my rock. I won't let him kill you. If anyone's going to kill you, it's going to be me." He laughed. 
"Of course it is." I took another sip of beer. "But I do have something to tell you." I said in a more serious tone. 
"Oh no." 
"So my mother over dosed a few days back. Our neighbor called the almbance and they took her to the hospital. They called her emergancy contacts and apparetnly that isn't me but two men. 
Turns out that one of those two men is my biological father." 
"Okay, I'm sensing a twist coming up." Ah, he knew me so well. 
"They're both cops." He almost chocked on his beer. 
"What?" 
"Listen, I ran from them, but they caught me, brought me in, drilled me with questions. Then I got a call from Tony and booked it to save him. Then I spilled to them." 
"What?" He stood up and started to pace. 
"Nothing about you. I swear to god. I don't even know much about whatever it is you do remember? You kept me out of it." 
"What did you tell them M?" 
"I said that you're the reason that I'm not dead, that you saved my life. Kept food in my stomach and got me off of drugs. That I owe you my life and that you are the colsest thing to a brother - to a father than I've ever had. That you looked out for me when no one else did. That you always had my back. I told them when you needed someone threated or scared I did it. That I was extrememy good at it. They asked me what you did. I told them I had no idea. That I wasn't part of that. That you sheilded me from all of it. I told them that you loved me and that I loved you. 
I told them about Dex's sister and why he's after me." I got up and went to TT. 
"Look at me." I said. He kept his head down. "Tyrone I swear to God." 
He looked at me and then wrapped me in his arms. I wrapped my arms tightly around his hips and rested my head on his chest. "I believe you M." 
"I love you Tyrone." I said sniffling back the tears. 
"I love you too Maria." He pulled away. "But I think it's a good idea to have to cops on your side. More protection against Dex and his barbarian's. I'm not a bad guy." 
"I know you're not." 
"You take my bed, I'll take the couch." 
"No way." I protested. "I can take the couch." 
"No way." 
"Fine, we both get the bed." I threw my hands up and walked to his room.
We climbed in and I snuggled up to him. I used to do this when I had nightmares or there was a thunderstorm. I always felt safe in TT's arms. Kinda funny right? A drug lord is my safe haven. 
My life is a mess and it keeps getting worse with every passing day. 
TT and I have no sexual desire towards each other. Never thought of one another that way. 
He's like my father - my older brother, he's my best friend. He is five years older than I am. He was twenty two when he took me in.
He's the one who taught me how to braid my hair and fold clothes, he taught me how to cook and how to take care of myself. When he couldn't help me with homework then he hired a tutor for me. He taught me how to drive for God sakes, so yeah, when I am with Tyrone I know I am safe. Falling asleep in his arms right now, is the most safe I've felt since the whole thing with Dex's sister went down. 

I woke up sore as hell. I walked out to the kitchen and Anna and TT where talking and sipping coffee. "Morning sunshine." He smiled pouring me a cup of coffee. 
"Got any Tylenol?" I asked. 
"Yeah, bathroom cabinet. Sore?" 
"Like a mother. My head is pounding."  
Within thirty minutes the pills kicked in and I felt as good as new. But I couldn't say the same about my face. Gash on my temple, split lip and two nasty bruises, one on my right eye, the other the left side of my jaw. 
My phone went off. I didn't recognize the number. 
"Hello?" 
"Maria, it's Jay Halstead. The cops brought in six men from behind the Pub last night. They claim a woman beat them up. Would you have anything to do with that?" 
"Possibly." 
"Well can you come by the station?" 
"For what?" 
"You're not under arrest, we know they're part of Dex's gang, they won't talk. We would like you come in and see if you can get them to give us some info." 
"I guess. Give me an hour or so and I'll be there." 
"Got it, no problem, see you then." 
I hung up and took a drink of my coffee. 
"Who was that?" TT asked.
"Detective Jay Halstead. Seems they caught the guys from last night. Want me to come in." 
"You're going to jail?" 
"No, they want me to help them get information from them." 
"Well you are very good at that." He smiled. 
"I am aren't I?" 
Anna and I got dressed. "Hey TT, can I borrow a car?" I asked. 
"Of course." 
He threw me the keys to his Escape. "Thanks." 
"No problem." 
I dropped Anna at home and went to the station.