Family of two

26 - Danger is never far

Thanks for all your support so far. I was finally able to finsh another chapter. Enjoy!

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Eric

It was supposed to be a quiet day. Initiation was finished and today was all about catching up on paperwork. After yesterday's events the young leader was still in a very good mood when he reached his office. And he wasn't thinking about the party that had probably finished in the early hours of the morning but about the lunch before. That lunch.

He felt secure and content in the knowledge that Mia was as serious about him or rather them -Teddy and him - as he. He had wanted to know for a while now, but hadn't known how to approach the subject and then, when she literally stumbled into him last night, the opportunity had offered itself. He still remembered the exact moment Mia had realized what he asked of her and the bright smile that had spread on her face.

Unbeknown to him Eric bore the same bright smile when he made himself a coffee. He started to work through the reports from the various departments of Dauntless when his phone rang.

"Eric." He answered relaxed but went rigid as soon as the other person started talking.

"I'll stop that! Tell him I'll be there soon!" He shouted, banged the phone down on the hook and was out of the door. Running through the compound as fast as he could, anxious and outraged at the news, Eric dragged Jack with him, as soon as he encountered him on the way by chance. The other man had only taken one look at his friend before following without a question. Therefore Jack was hot on his heels, when the young leader hasted furiously up the stairs that led to the old firing range and tore the door open. Three Dauntless were shooting off the roof with their backs to him. With an even for him new amount of fury Eric immediately he yelled at them:

"Hold your fire!"

The firing men turned around and Eric looked into the faces of Peter and his minions.

"Eric." Peter voice betrayed his surprise and uneasiness, still he aimed for cocky: "What's up?"

"Now, why am I not surprised to see you?" Eric hissed deadly calm. "Hand me your weapons." When the three man just kept looking at him, he barked: "Now!"

Eric could see they had finally caught up and knew they were in trouble. Idiots. Worse: Dangerous idiots. In order to keep himself functional he had to release just a tiny bit of anger, so he punched Peter square in the face, after he had secured the rifles.

Peter stumbled back into his lackeys. "What the hell?"

Eric got into his face and hissed: "You better pray that neither my son nor any other child in daycare got injured."

"Your son? Daycare?" The three stuttered. "You have to believe us, we didn't know..."

"Missed the signs, uh?" Eric sneered pointing at the sign next to the door.

It read: "Daycare ahead. No shooting from this rooftop!" in bold letters.

"Jack restrain them and get their asses to Sean immediately." Eric advised his friend before he got once more into the faces of those idiots: "If anybody got harmed in any way, you will wish you have never been born."

Jack quickly tied them up and then addressed Eric: "Go! I take care of this scum."

Eric gave him a thankful nod before he bolted down the stairs to run to the daycare, wishing he could have beaten those idiots to a pulp. However more than anything he needed to be see for himself that Teddy was hopefully alright. While his feet were hitting the ground his mind showed him gruesome pictures of Teddy laying in a pool of blood. Like before the young father simply shoved everyone out of the way who was so unlucky to get in his path, never caring if they might hit the floor or manage to remain their footing and never caring for the insults they were shouting after him. Finally he ran around the last corner.

"Teddy!?" He called out for his boy, however it wasn't Teddy who answered him, but rather one of the kindergartner:

"Over here!" He recognized Tara's voice.

"Thank God, nobody was injured, but they are terrified." She informed him, when Eric skittered to a halt before one of the tables that the kids used for coloring. Hiding under it was Teddy, folded into himself, crying and shaking from the flashbacks the incident had triggered.

Crouching down Eric softly called his son, whose head came up, revealing his distraught and crying face. Looking at his son Eric felt the rage against Peter and his cronies coming back full force but now wasn't the time for it. He would only scare his boy more if he didn't get a grip on himself soon. It was the only thing that helped him to suppress it, for now.

Due to his large frame it was a little difficult, but Eric managed to scramble to his boy under the table and wrapped his arms around him. Teddy clung to him crying and hiccupping into his shoulder, while he softly dragged the little guy out of his hideout.

After talking shortly to Tara about what happened, Eric was on his way to his apartment to hopefully calm his little boy down. His face was grim on the thought of what this incident would mean to Teddy and he hoped beyond reason that it wouldn't cause any more flashbacks.

This wish was closely followed by another: He longed for Mia. Right now he needed her - he desperately needed her to help him calm down but he knew that she couldn't just abandon her duties on sickbay. He would call her none the less because she would want to know anyway and maybe she would even be able to get a replacement. Otherwise she would come tonight and in the meantime he would have to handle all these emotions that kept boiling up inside of him on his own. Like he had done before she wormed herself into his life and into his heart. It would be hard but he had to be strong for Teddy.

When he reached the pit Teddy was still crying into his shoulder, making him wanting to be already home!. Suddenly he became aware of Max making his way towards to him, with three man from Candor following behind him. He groaned. He didn't have time for this. Whatever it was he was sure Max could handle it on his own.

Once the group reached him, Max greeted him shortly while the Candor looked at him in clear disapproval. He couldn't care less.

"Max, whatever this is about, it has to wait. I'll have to take care of Teddy first."

"I fear not." Max told him much to his astonishment.

"What do you mean by that, Max? What's the matter?"

"Eric Coulter," one of the Candor stepped forward and addressed him formally "you are under arrest for child abuse."

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Evel cliff hanger! I know!

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