Chapter Text
At this time of the morning, the streets are dark and empty. Cars at the side of the road lie still and cold, glittering as the dew reflects the yellow of the street lights. The sound of Pitch's feet hitting the grows quieter as he leaves the pavement for the stone path leading away from the town and towards the river.
He runs, his eyes fixed in steely determination, his pace never slacking, towards the large gate that's almost hidden by the bushes. He comes to a stop, fingers the latch silently and slips through, closing the gate with a gentle Clang as he continues down the path. The rain makes the dirt form puddles of thick mud, showing his footprints like marks on a map.
His breathing gets deeper, he's not as young as he once was and the half dozen miles are taking their toll, but still he continues. He reaches the small wooden pier and stops, stretching his chest and gazing out over the river. At times like these, he forgets the world, and he forgets Jack, and thinks of life before. He thinks of his past, and the people he loved and hated, the struggle to stay alive and to stay real.
It was so easy to get caught up in his thoughts; the fears that his past would catch up with him. Pitch always sticks to his schedule though, and never spends a moment too long just thinking.
He comes back home with a slightly lighter load to bear, and re-enters the present as he steps through the threshold and is hit by the warmth and the smell of home.
It's the start of a new school year, which means 100 new names to learn, and a frantic week of updating his student records. He can't say he's particularly shocked to see some students back on his list, it's hardly a shock that Jessie was arrested for drug dealing, nor is it a shock that a Marco and Tina have come back with additions to their criminal records. What is a shock, though, is the sobbing figure of Tiana that appears by his door.
He's up in a flash - she's usually half way through a session before the tears start - and he leads her to the chair, shutting the door. Pitch finds it hard to keep a professional front with Tiana; her story is much the same as his (minus a few murders) and he honestly feels for the girl so much.
"T, deep breaths, okay? Deep breaths in, and out. In, and out."
They stay close for a few minutes, breaking all boundaries, but she calms. Her plaited hair falls in front of her eyes and she bats it away. Her eyes are red and puffy, and she's not wearing her trademark green eyeliner. Whatever it was, was definitely bad.
"Okay? Now, what do we need to deal with first?"
Tiana looks wide-eyed at Pitch as she pulls something from her pocket. Her hands shaking, she offers it to the man opposite.
"Positive. It's positive. I... this morning. I did another one and that's positive too."
Pitch is stony-faced. "Who knows?"
She stills. "Only you."
----
The week passes quickly - Pitch sleeps in the school infirmary most nights, seeing Jack only at lunch. His meetings with Tiana are daily, and his workload is steady. It's not the first time Pitch has dealt with a student pregnancy, but it's the first since he's moved in with Jack. Their relationship has always been strong, but they've never talked about having children.
The thought of having mini Jacks and mini versions of himself around the house scares him. What scares him further are the thoughts of his child having the same upbringing to his own. He snaps out of his thoughts as the bell rings, signifying the arrival of Tiana in a few minutes. The sessions are going well, working through telling those who need to know, and what she needs to look out for. She knocks softly and enters, sitting down and smiling. The change within a week is amazing, Pitch thinks.
They talk about the weather, and about relationships - Pitch skimming over her questions about his own, and they setting into easy banter. But it's over as soon as it starts, when she picks up on what Pitch tried to leave.
"You're not okay, are you Sir."
It's a statement, rather than a question, and it catches him off-guard. He's silent for a moment, a second too long.
He leans forward, his hands together. "What makes you say that?"
"Not sure, Sir. You don't seem as happy and you look really tired. And you're wearing the same suit."
He's confused now. "What about my suit? Is it not to your liking?"
She smiles. "Not really, you've worn it for the past four days. Why aren't you going back with your husband any more, Sir?"
Pitch is more annoyed than shocked. No-one in this school is observant enough to notice that, not even Jack. "Unfortunately, my dear, this job takes up a lot of my time. It's easier if I stay here for the first few weeks of the year, rather than go home. And besides Ja- Ah, my partner, completely understands this decision. But why don't we talk about your relationship? How is young Nicholas St North doing these days?"
She giggles, they both know he's doing well. At least getting pregnant by the most successful student in the year meant a good future for the child. Pitch suggests couples' sessions and Tiana agrees, and goes off to fetch North, as she called him.
Whilst she was gone, Pitch pulled out his phone. The last time he texted Jack was at the beginning of the week, telling him that he wasn't going to be home for a while, in the least suspicious way possible. He hadn't noticed the text back, asking if he needed any suits. Pitch wondered if Jack had noticed lack of variation in the suit front, but quickly reminded himself that Jack was about the least observant person known to man. He popped the keyboard out, and typed a quick text. He slipped it back in his pocket as Tiana bounced back through the door which a shell-shocked looking North in tow. Pitch stood up to greet the boy, looking suitably impressed by his firm handshake, given the circumstances. The three took their seats and the session continued.
In the other side of the building, Jack was being accosted by twenty Year 1 children, each demanding stickers. He heard a text alert and quickly pacified his pupils with some meaningless task, and rushed over to his desk.
Text from Pitch<3 at 14:02:
You mean the world to me and I don't tell you as much as I should. Coming home tonight, I love you