The Art Teacher

Chapter 22: Safety

Time skip 3 months

"Come on it's been a long week, let's go home" Harrison said taking Tom and Hazel's hand.

Harrison was right, it had been a long week. A long past 3 months actually. After Harrison had come out of hospital, he wasn't able to do much but he had Tom. To an extent you could say things went back to a certain level of normality. The only one who wasn't very happy was Hazel because apparently the substitute teacher was old and smelt like rotten cabbage?

Tom looked after Harrison while he was unable and with time and cuddles he was back to his usual self and his students had a class smelling of raspberries again, and not cabbage. He'd spent far too long in hospital and he still had to have check ups to make sure he was didn't get an infection in his cut, and he had to get his stitches removed.

As Harrison drove home - the drive went smoothly this time - from his last check up, Hazel got out first unlocking the door to go in, and Tom sat in the car, waiting.

"Tommy, it's alright now, the trial is over. She won't be able to come near you." Harrison said, taking his hand and pulling him over.

"But it's not ok and.... she's not ok. She's still here. Harrison she'll always be here, she makes up a part of Hazel" Tom said his head in his hands.

"No darling, she's not. Hazel has a father. An amazing father who loves her with everything he has and more. She has that and her fathers boyfriend who'll be there for both of them no matter what. She's no longer made of Lily and that was Lily's decision. Don't let that fall on you, she made those ridiculous choices" Harrison reassured, and Tom looked up and smiled, his head falling sideways into Harrison.

"I didn't know I needed to hear that until now" Tom muttered and Haz stroked Tom's hair out of his face as he gently ran his long fingers through it.

"Sometimes that happens, you don't know you need to hear things until people say them" Harrison whispered.

Harrison was right, the trial was over and Lily had been proven guilty. She never had a chance to begin with but everyone deserves a chance, right? She'd now serve a life sentence and considering she was only 25, it would be a long time.

Tom tried to genuinely feel bad for her, but he just couldn't, not after everything she done and taken from him.

"Come on we can't leave Hazel to make her own dinner" Harrison said "and I have lessons to plan, this teaching thing isn't easy" Harrison joked, and Tom smiled.

"Just quit work and come and be my Personal Assistant" Tom said.

"Sorry babe, not in this life" Haz replied teasingly.

Tom chuckled a bit before slumping down in the car seat.

"I'm so tired" Tom murmured.

"Not surprised" Harrison said, getting out so he could open Tom's door, and lift him out.

"Come on you big baby, I'll make Macaroni cheese if you give us a smile" Harrison said, looking down at Tom as he carried him inside.

"That's not fair Mac Cheese is my favourite" Tom complained.

"Exactly" Harrison replied. Harrison carried Tom to their room and putting him down. Tom then proceeded to pull Haz down with him. Kissing him hard.

"Stay here" Tom mumbled.

"No darling, you have a daughter to feed, maybe after she's asleep. Then I'll think about it" Haz said standing up.

"Get changed" Haz said chucking Tom one of his own hoodies.