Archive of Our Own

One: Parent's Night

Six was a very serious man, at least he tried to continue to be. Life in prison then life working as a shadow in the CIA didn't grant him much luxury to reside peacefully. Days would drag on, exchanging violence for violence, fists for bullets. That's why now when he had let go of his number to pick up his name once again, he was a bit out of his depth.

Especially when it came to being a parent.

Court rubbed at his eyes as he sat in his truck, waiting for Claire to come out of the house already so they could go. Claire was very firm that she expected to attend this… thing. She had insisted to be allowed to go to school, which also meant whatever events there that caught her eyes. It made Court's gums itch and his knuckles burn to have his ward out of his sight, but it had also granted him quite a few boons.

First off, he had a normal, every day office job. Well, not every day, he still worked in the government, but he was now teaching new agents and helping with planning low leveled missions. It was intel based, something that he had surprisingly adapted to. Why they didn't send him into security or into calmer missions he wasn't quite sure, but the CIA kept him close.

Next was an entirely re-hauled identity. His old records were brought back from where they had been wiped off the face of the earth as he got shuttled off to the other side of the country. Claire was officially labeled as his daughter, a new birth certificate tying them together. He had a house, job, car and bank account placed into his lap with ease, like it had always been that easy.

And maybe it was, but not for someone like him.

And finally he got to experience family again. Was Claire probably the most annoying teenager on earth? Maybe, but that was the cost he had to nicely deal with. She didn't always play along as the dutiful daughter, but it was close enough. He hadn't experienced this type of thing in years, but somehow he found himself hesitantly basking in it.

It came with some downsides though.

The CIA was sure to keep him busy, expected to work long hours every day of the work week. He was given a three hour break to grab Claire and get food before they were both taken into the agency again. For the most part Claire just sat in his office doing homework or texting on her phone, uncaring about the codependency the agency had assigned them. He doesn't remember the last time he saw the sunset on a workweek not through the window, but it was manageable.

Another thing was the expectations on him as a father.

He did not have a clue about that one. He had seen himself as a guardian for his ward, a guard dog protecting a prissy house pet. But he was assigned as a parent, which was impossible to come easy to him. It was half the product of his childhood environment and the other half being his own social neglect. Having a teenager who'd constantly sass and prod him back wasn't a good look, but he still managed.

But with Claire's school and his supposed parenthood, he has obligations between the both of them.

Court pinched the bridge of his nose as he walked through the open door of the school, not really wanting to be here. He was expected to meet Claire's teachers, to play nice with half an hour each. 'Parent's night' was the unfamiliar subject Court found himself forced into, though he took it as an excuse to scope out the place.

"Dadddd." Claire drawled out in that dramatic tone of hers. She took long strides up to him, glaring to try and correct his behavior of striding forward like a soldier. He grunted as he also fixed his posture, walking next to her instead. "We are going to my homeroom and first period teacher first."

Court nodded along to her words, watching her text out of the corner of his eyes. The school was sparsely filled with students and parents alike, and he couldn't help but wonder how much he was actually supposed to be here. He followed her guiding steps as she walked, by-far more familiar with the building after two months of school here. The hallways were heavily decorated no matter where they went, corkboards outside of classrooms showing off work and lesson plans.

"You better be nice to him." Claire paused in her steps as they reached what Court assumed was the science wing. In the stretch of hallway there was planets hung on the ceiling, a paper mache model of the sun hanging right above them. There was differing amounts of space between them as long as the planets getting increasingly smaller, so it must've been a semi-accurate model.

"He's your teacher, I'll be cordial." Court grunted out, putting his hands into his pockets. That didn't soothe the savage beast that was the teenager though, her face scrunched up in a scowl. While he had heard only positive things about the man from his ward there was still something unsettling about him.

Doctor Ryland Grace.

The name was burned into his brain at this point, though so were all the other teachers Claire had this year. The would-be scientist stood out to him, a cocky man who couldn't just file into place after having his ideas shut down. No, he seemed sporadic and volatile, going as far as getting kicked out of his field by screaming at the head scientist.

So… Not a good impression.

Why someone like that would go onto being a teacher Court couldn't understand. From the videos and reports Court had seen about the man he didn't have a nurturing bone in his body. He was popular, sure, but it wasn't hard to impress children. Court gritted his teeth as he followed Claire inside the classroom, scanning the windows and other door carefully.

Then his eyes landed on the teacher.

Court felt bad looking at that soft face all of a sudden, blinking in surprise. He almost wondered if this was a different man from who he'd been researching, if it wasn't for the copy of his doctorate diploma on the wall. This wasn't what he'd expected the loudmouth, party animal (Yes, Court had even seen those types of photos from college) and stubborn man.

"Claire!" Dr. Grace had smiled at the girl, neatening up the stack of papers on the desk. He picked them up in his hand and tucked them into his arm, going to the pair. "I didn't expect you to come in so early. This must be your father, Mr. Gentry, correct?"

"Sureeeee is." Claire had bitten back her sarcasm, which made Court send her an odd look. He'd never seen her correct her attitude for anybody, but here she was being… relatively well behaved. "He's my dad."

"Well it's nice to meet him. You've raised a lovely young girl, Mr. Gentry. She's very well spoken and smart, you must be proud of her." Dr. Grace held out his hand and Court instantly went to shake it. The teacher's grip was firm, and he didn't cower when his hand was squeezed. He just smiled up at Court before pulling away, stepping out of the pair's space.

Claire glared at him for the action, like Court had done anything wrong. He didn't get why she was insistent on a good impression, but it felt suspicious.

"Are you giving out more information on the science club, Mr. Grace?" Claire asked- and ah that was it. She wanted them to get along because she wanted to be in the after school club, which also meant field trips, which ALSO meant Court would end up as an unwilling chaperone just to keep an eye on her.

Still, Court patted her shoulder, jerking his chin. Claire gave him a look like 'what do you want' and Court huffed. He motioned to the man's PHD on the wall again, and Claire rolled her eyes.

"Mr. Grace doesn't care if we use Mister or Doctor." She threw her hands up, tilting her head to the side. The teacher took quick notice of the apparent bickering and intercepted, waving his hand gently.

"Really, its no problem, Mr. Gentry. I'm just a school teacher now anyways, a doctor feels a bit too formal when dealing with preteens and teenagers." He soothed, his voice rather gentle. It was different from the yelling and scratchy voice the man had in the past, a bit more genuine maybe. "But yes, to answer your question, Claire. I was planning to introduce that after more people had come in and I had presented my slides…. butttttt."

The man dragged out the word as he slipped out a paper from his stack, handing it to her. Claire visibly perked up at that, like a prissy house cat satisfied at its hunt. Her eyes were instantly focused on the lines on the paper, reading through with more interest then Court had seen her with anything else.

"I figured I may as well give it to you since you've been excited ever since that first experience. You know, Mr. Gentry, when she first came in I would have thought she would be a difficult student with how disinterested she was. But now she's one of the best, very attentive and has a keen eye for her work. I'm glad she takes pride in it." Dr. Grace had said, pulling away as he finished talking. Another pair of parents had come in now and he had to greet them it seems, leaving Claire and Court there in silence.

"Do you need more praise in your life or something?" Court asked in a low tone. "Should I be telling you that you do good on your quizzes?" He was utterly lost on her excitement with the man, so that had to be it. Court wasn't the affectionate type, he knew that as well as she did, but Claire never seemed like she had lacked it. Was Court a bad parent for not complimenting and encouraging her?

"That's… no. Just no." Claire let out a dramatic groan at the thought, crumpling the paper in her hand. She smoothed it out just as quickly and Court sighed, reaching up to pat her on the head.

It took a few minutes for another handful of people to file in, an announcement sounding out that the teachers could begin their introductions. Just like that Dr. Grace seemed to switch, a friendly man to a seasoned professional. He had his hand on the desk as he talked through the syllabus for the parents and introduced the units he would be going over.

He was obviously passionate about science, even though he was just teaching middle schoolers. There was an impressive grace to the way the man carried himself, sure footed but interactive. Just like that all eyes could be on him in a room, encouraging questions and the pursuit of knowledge.

So, very over qualified.

It was highly fascinating to watch the man speak, commanding the room. His posture was open and he moved his hands just enough to keep even wandering eyes entertained. When he talked it was with his whole body, expressions on point as he went forward with it. This was the type of person who should be giving talk shows to audiences of hundreds, or maybe a college professor. But no, he talked like this to groups of thirty school children on the daily.

What a damn shame.

Court had spent so much time focusing on the way the man had spoke he hadn't had a chance to actually listen to the words. He blinked as the ending slide came up, questions opened up to the group. Claire turned to look at Court and made a face, before handing over the paper for him to look at. He barely skimmed it before the was an announcement for class changes and Claire huffed dramatically at it.

"It was a pleasure to see all of you this evening, thank you all for coming." Dr. Grace had closed out, standing at the front of the room. People quickly started to pile out and go, but Claire didn't seem in a rush. Instead she trotted up to the front of the room, grabbing a dry erase market to doodle on the board. Dr. Grace had just smiled at the action, like it was just harmless fun.

"You are quite the lecturer, Dr. Grace." Court said as he came to the front of the room. Instantly those eyes were on him, focused and clear. Perhaps in another life instead of being shunned from the academic community this man was recruited elsewhere, keeping eyes on him as things were discussed. "Surprised you ended up here."

"Ah, well, teaching is enjoyable." The man shrugged, though he looked a little tense. Court couldn't help but want to press deeper into that, his eyes focused on the man.

"You have a PHD, surely that's a bit far of a stretch to be enjoyable." Court tilted his head slightly, stepping forward. The man truly squirmed at that, but just waved away the words.

"Okay, I'm done!" Claire chirped, causing Court to straighten out. On the board she'd drawn a little… fox? assumably from the orange color. It was pushed off to the corner of the board, as if in hopes that it would stay un-erased when the board was properly in use. "Lets go, dad."

And just like that she was pulling out of the room and away. Court's eyes went back to Dr. Grace once more, who seemed a bit more on the offensive. He let a small smile cross his face for a moment, turning on his foot to follow his ward.

The two of them walked in silence for a moment, down the halls of the school. Claire's face was neutral again, though he was given a firm side eye.

"I thought I told you not to be weird?" Claire grumbled, turning out of the science hall. Court shrugged off her words, because yes it was odd that he was purposefully prodding to make the man uncomfortable, but it was also fascinating to see the man fumble just to recover.

"I thought we were going to parent night." Court quipped back, watching her turn down the main hall to the doors. She turned on her foot with a dramatic flourish as she shrugged, a smirk crossing her face.

"I got what i wanted, and you didn't want to be here in the first place. Plus, his is the only class im putting efforts into, so." The girl shifted her hand side to side and Court couldn't help but roll his eyes. He should probably nag at her for such a thing, but why waste both of their time with that?

-~-

"I think Claire's dad wants to kill me." Ryland mumbled to the english teacher he was in the lounge with. The woman, Ms. Jones stuck her head out of the fridge, giving him a weird look.

"Was he here? I didnt see them come in for second period introductions." She pulled out her plastic container from the fridge, closing it behind her.

That was only more unsettling! What do you mean Claire had dragged her dad to parent night only for his class! What kind of impression did he make on the man if he had been staring so hard the entire time he talked. It sent shivers down Ryland's spine just thinking about it, an intense cold stare like a grim reaper.

"He was staring me SUPER hard. And then after i was done he was like 'Oh what is a middle school teacher doing with a PHD?' Like I don't know, teaching???" Ryland had mimicked the deep scruffy voice of the intimidating man, throwing his hands up in defeat.

"Maybe Claire only wanted to learn about the club ahead of time? Or she just really hates the rest of her teachers." Ms. Jones shrugged, slightly amused by the man's antics. "Or she thinks you're eye candy for her dad."

"No… Do students really try to set up their parents and teachers?" Ryland was slightly aghast at the idea, shaking his head. Ms. Jones just laughed and patted his shoulder, leaving for the night.

Two: Field Trip

The next time Court found himself along side Dr. Ryland Grace's side was on a field trip. The both of them were firmly cramped into the bus seat, Claire having quickly fled away at the mere idea of sitting next to her own guardian. Dr. Grace was at least nice enough to allow Court to take the outside of the bench, allowing just a little more room for his shoulders.

"Have you chaperoned field trips before?" Dr. Grace asked, flipping through a small notebook. He was writing stuff down in it, seemingly going over the itinerary. It was only an air and space museum, yet the man seemed so well prepared he may as well be giving the tour today.

"No, but I get the general idea. Herd them through the areas, make sure they don't run off or cause trouble." Glorified babysitting, or just like a escort mission. It wasn't difficult work, especially for a man who had done this time and time again in much higher stress scenarios.

"I… Guess that's one way to put it." Dr. Grace nodded his head. Across the aisle two other teachers were talking together, seemingly more then content for Dr. Grace to take the lead. "We will be splitting up into two groups, so that means one of us will be at the front and one of us at the back. Just try and make sure they keep to the walking areas and are listening to the tour guides at least a little."

Court let out a grunt of understanding, nodding his head. This was going to be easy work, though he expected to having to interject as a firmer hand would anything go wrong. From what Claire had said about Dr. Grace, which a lot considering she rarely spoke on her other teachers, he was rather soft around the edges these days. It wasn't a bad thing the man had mellowed out, Court was quite happy that someone like that was around his daughter since he struggled with relaxation, but he doubted how capable the man was at reigning people in.

Dr. Grace pulled out a pamphlet from who knows where to start explaining the route they were taking, what they would be looking at, and when they'd be expected to leave each zone. Court grunted along with ease, considering this just felt like a mission briefing. Dr. Grace was leaning in rather close as he pointed at things on the map but Court just turned a little bit away, eyes carefully analyzing the map.

"Mr. Grace." One of the other science teacher spoke up as the bus pulled to a stop. "You and Mr. Gentry can stick together, right? Mr. Burns and I will lead out the first group." The woman said very quickly, leaving no time for any sort of interjection. Dr. Grace had held up his hand to say something but she already fled out of the bus door, the other teacher stepping out right behind her.

"Right…" Dr. Grace hummed to himself, smacking his lips. He jerked his head for Court to get up and the man quickly did, stepping back to let Dr. Grace gather up the students attention.

"One, two, three, eyes on me!" Dr. Grace practically barked out, making even Court keep his eyes directly on him. It was amazing how the man commanded a room, and this was the second time he has seen it happen. "Alrighty, folks. Today we, as you know, are at the aviation museum. Do not cross any strung boundaries, touch artifacts, or attempt any types of graffiti. We at Grover Cleveland Middle School have been welcome guests for years, and we don't want to change that. You'll be split into two groups with either Mr. Burns and Ms. Hall or with Mr. Gentry and I."

There were some murmurs of complaint or curiosity throughout the bus, but Dr. Grace put up his hand. The man was seemingly strict when he needed to be, or at least when there were rules to follow. Court couldn't help the smirk that came to his face, lingering his eyes on the man for just a moment before schooling his expression. Dr. Grace turned around after his debriefing with the students and Court stepped back off the bus.

"Is it alright for Claire to get placed with us?" Court asked in a low tone as children filtered off the bus. Dr. Grace sent him a glance, eyes softening like Court was merely a worried dad for his kid.

"She requested to be in my group yesterday anyways, so that works out." Was the reply Dr. Grace gave with a shrug, tapping his pamphlet on his palm. Court let out a hum of understanding, scanning the crowd for a second.

Did that mean Claire had asked to be with Dr. Grace and not her guardian that was forced into playing chaperone? He wouldn't put it past her but it was still disgruntling. He caught the girl's eye for a second and she stuck out her tongue before going back to chatting with her friend.

The other two teachers took to separating out the students. The ones placed in their group seemed to almost swarm around Dr. Grace whilst giving Court himself a wide berth. He chose not to be offended by this, standing there with his arms crossed. The teacher started to count out the heads that were in his group, nodding satisfied. He fished out some ticket stubs and counted them out.

"Alright students, away we go!" Dr. Grace announced, the kids perking their heads up to follow. Most of them were still in their own worlds, chatting or goofing off, but it was amusing the way that they would all raise their heads in unison whenever the teacher raised his voice. Hell, even if the man had made a barely there motion with his hand they'd straighten up their line.

Dr. Grace was surprisingly good in a position of leadership. Firm voice but gentle hands. It was a style so entirely different than Court's own that he couldn't help but smile. It was… pride, maybe, seeing that the man could handle himself after being worn around the edges.

Still, they all were led through the museum entrance with relative ease. The employee there counted out the students and tickets again, reaching into their desk. They handed off a lanyard to Dr. Grace and the man grabbed the other one, handing it off to Claire to deliver. She got a small pat on the shoulder and Court let out an almost affectionate hum as she trotted over.

"Your face looks stupid." Was all she said as she dropped the lanyard into an awaiting hand. Court grunted at it, rolling his eyes before slipping the lanyard on.

"At least I'm not a teacher's pet." Was the only only retort he could come up with, bringing up a hand to ruffle her hair. She gawked at him for a moment, scrambling to pull away before it was fully ruined. Court only stopped his attempts when he caught the teacher looking back at them, a polite but questioning smile on his face.

Embarrassing.

Court stood up a little taller, tilting his head back to survey the scene. It wasn't hard to keep his eyes wandering when given a task like this, always checking corners and individuals out. He might have looked a little to stiff just guarding a group of barely there teenagers, but it was fine, he wasn't a nice man in the first place.

Tighter areas, like the cockpit simulation and getting to walk through a real life sized exhibit of the Mars Lander Habitat, gave him a bit more strain, but it was nothing. If anything closed spaces made it easier to keep head count, with the downside of unable to see approaches.

They were at a museum. It was fine. It was a normal day and he was a normal parent with a (mostly) normal science teacher.

It was not going to stay fine.

Mr. Burns ran up to Dr. Grace as he stood at the edge of the cafeteria line, making sure all of the students got their meal tickets to eat during the documentary they were about to watch on the colonization on mars. Court had been standing with the group of loitering students, his jaw tightening as he watched exchanged whispers.

Dr. Grace broke away from Mr. Burns for the moment, patting his shoulder to calm him down. It was a barely there touch before Dr. Grace was making wide strides to Court, students dispersing quickly and watching with gawking looks.

"Mr. Gentry. Stay here with both of the groups." Dr. Grace whispered in his ear, voice low. He was leaned in close enough that Court could smell the a whiff of the man's cologne, something that reminded of him the ocean and driftwood. "One of the students didn't come back with the other chaperones. If it comes down to it stay with them and take the students into the documentary."

And just like that the man's mood shift, a smile on his face as he patted Court's shoulder. It's like he was seemingly used to putting on a smile to keep things calm, even his gait back to normal as he pulled away to go talk to a museum coordinator that had been with Mr. Burns

"That doesn't seem good." Claire came up to Court's side, squeezing her tray. She gave him a look, the same kind of tired eyes that had seen things no child her age should have. Court just raised a hand to her back, rubbing it for a second.

"Just stay put, its nothing major." He sighed, making her roll her eyes again. Court knew it wasn't a comfort to keep information from her, but it would have to be done. She didn't like not knowing things, the paranoia that came in after so many things that had gone wrong, but it wasn't his orders to tell her what was going on… Just yet at least.

Court folded his arms as he looked at all the students meandering around. There were some whispers going on, a few jokes, but they tended to stay bundled together at least. Mr. Burns and Ms. Hall kept them rather contained, the former looking rather pale while the other watched like a hawk. Court rolled his shoulders as he kept in formation, waiting.

And waiting.

Eventually everyone had made through the line and were gathered up properly into two lines. Court counted the heads there, then counted again. One student was gone, which Dr. Grace was of course taking care of. He seemed knowledgeable when it came to the students here, surprisingly well in control despite his awkward nature.

"Alright, everyone file down the whole row until they're filled, then move onto the next." Ms. Hall clapped her hands together, holding open the door of the auditorium. Just the classes would be in there, which was good, but Court tapped his foot on the ground as he waited. Dr. Grace was not popping up by the time everyone had filed in, and not even after the doors closed.

Just what was going on?

The voice of Mark Wattney filled the small theater, the man going on and on about Mars. Court didn't care, trying to focus on noises past it. Sounds of the students shifting around or eating, normal, the projector buzzing and staff attending to it, normal. Past the walls into the hallways were hurried steps and Court stood up. There was a backdoor to the theater and before he be told to sit back down he slammed it open, resulting in a loud THUNK as a body hit heavy metal.

Well then.

Court rounded the door to face his poor victim, blinking in surprise. It was just some normal middle aged looking man, maybe a bit on the skinny but clearly healthy. He was wheezing up a storm as he rubbed his bleeding nose, a few swears making it past his lips.

The man thought he had screwed up for a second before Dr. Grace and two security officers rounded the corner, batons up. The man gawked for a moment and Court shut the door behind him, grabbing the man's arm before he could stand and run off again.

"T-thank you for your assistance, sir." One of the security guards mumbled as he came forward with a pair of cuffs. Dr. Grace still looked rather startled at the fact, cringing at the blood running down the man's face.

"He... Ran into the door." Court explained for a moment, coughing into his fist. Technically it was the truth, even if Court had purposefully opened the door so fast it couldn't be avoided. Dr. Grace nodded stiffly, watching said mad get escorted off. Before Court could try and fumble around for any normal excuse tears were dripping from the man's face and he didn't know WHAT to do about that.

"No, no you… you did good." Dr. Grace panted, slumping against the wall. Court couldn't tell if this was some kind of panic attack or tears of relief, but Dr. Grace turned away from him. "He… He was one of the kid's parents. He lost the custody battle because of some allegations that lead to him being seen as an unfit parent. I guess he remembered the field trip and was trying to take his daughter with him to live across state lines."

That was one hell of an explanation, but it made sense. Mostly done out of desperation, maybe a need for control, but that's how some parents were. Court shifted a little closer to Dr. Grace as he cried, their shoulders touching. Maybe his life wasn't all about fighting and adrenaline, so any kind of rush especially when it was about one of his own students would be a lot for the man. Court just stood there as Dr. Grace let silent tears fall, struggling to think of what to do.

Fitzroy probably would've been better at this than him. He had a nurturing heart beneath it all, a want for something better. Court just followed orders to help with that, but it wasn't a natural occurrence to him.

Fitzroy always hugged Claire when she was upset. Sometimes it was a lazy cuddle on the couch with a box of tissues nearby, Fitzroy mumbling softly to her as she rested a head on his elbow. That seemed overly familiar, but it also seemed like the right thing to do.

Court let out a soft sigh as he watched Dr. Grace wipe his tears on the back of his sleeve, sniffling slightly. Court hesitated for a moment, bringing his hand up to hover. Was this going to be weird? Was he going to get vetoed as a chaperone for this? Dr. Grace seemed like he needed some kind of assurance.

Court said fuck it all and slinked an arm around the man.

Dr. Grace stiffened up and before Court could pull away with apologies for being indecent the man leaned into it. The teacher just put his face down on his shoulder, tears probably staining the black shirt he was wearing. That was fine, that was okay. He seemed to shake a little more and Court wrapped that other arm around him, rubbing at his back gently.

Normal human contact. He could do that.

This was a very normal human interaction to comfort someone. They were not close, not at all, but they cared for the same person so that may as well be enough in Court's book. He was nothing if not loyal to those he gave his hand, and his current ward was smart enough to know what kind of people to endure being around.

"Thank you, Mr. Gentry." Dr. Grace picked up his head after awhile, sniffling again. "Geez, I'm sorry I'm such a mess you shouldn't have had to see that."

The man was rubbing at his eyes, rather red even in the dim light of the hall behind the theater. Court hear the echoes of the documentary, the people meandering around the museum, whispers between people. So much was all around him yet he let him focus on the individual right there.

"I wanted to." Court grunted out, trying to regain his normal posture. Dr. Grace downright giggled, a smile crossing his lips at the exchange. "Can I ask why you went to deal with that? Not the museum or Mr. Burns himself?"

Dr. Grace let out a soft hum at that, pulling away from the embrace. Court quickly shoved his hands into his pockets so he did not hover over the poor guy, or try any more attempts at awkward reassurance.

"It's Mr.Burns first semester as a teacher. Dealing with something like that is a bit too overwhelming for him right now. Plus, I had met the parent before so when security was relaying the description to me I instantly knew who it was. Still, all kinds of crazy stuff happens in these kids lives, it's good to try and stay calm to guide them through it." Dr. Grace explained, holding onto his arms. He shifted on his feet a little, like he was still working on calming his nerves.

"Was the girl alright?" Court found himself asking, as if he really cared. Claire probably didn't talk to her all that much if she wasn't in their group, so it wasn't truly relevant to him. It did, however, seem to be the right move with Dr. Grace, the man letting out a soft hum.

"She is, yeah. That was still her dad so he didn't harm her, physically at least I mean- this is probably not going to be a fun formative moment for her- he just was doing things in a very wrong order. Police are taking care of her and her mom was called, so I don't think she will end up back at the field trip." Dr. Grace rambled about it for a little bit and Court nodded along. It was good that the girl was safe, and that the tired look in the other man's seemed to slowly be going away.

"I saved you a seat." Court grunted as he pushed himself off the wall, heading back to the door. He heard Dr. Grace let out a huff and he looked over his shoulder, seeing the man cocking his hip with a fist on it.

"How noble of you to save me a seat in a theater with a demographic of mostly middle schoolers." Dr. Grace said, in a surprising fit of sass. Court raised an eyebrow and the man seemed to stumble, going to correct himself before he got interrupted.

"I know." Court just hummed, jerking his chin to guide Dr. Grace along. He had the urge to escort the man along, to put a hand on his pack or interlink their arms, but Dr. Grace stood tall without him. The man was both mousey and confident it seems, opposites in a controlled space where they could seamlessly coexist.

"Noble and humble then." Dr. Grace mumbled as he walked by and Court allowed himself to smile as he shut the door, shaking his head gently.

-~-

Claire hummed happily to herself with her bag of treasures from the gift shop in hand as she filed onto the bus. Despite the earlier chaos that the teachers were freaking out, that Six would likely fill in for her later, everything seemed to wrap up nicely.

There was lots of idle chatter between her and her classmates now, about stuff in the exhibits or the show, cool knickknacks people did or didn't buy, general easy going chatter. Claire had also decided that she liked field trips now too, even if her guardian was there watching over like a hawk.

He wasn't intrusive about it, so it was honestly no big deal in the end.

Field trips were a nice break in the monotone nature of school though, which she quickly had realized in the first few weeks. Mr. Grace did make things fun, but that wasn't a sentiment shared amongst many teachers. She hadn't thought twice about science in any of her home lessons, but now in a proper environment it could almost peak her interest.

Almost.

Claire knew that unfortunately the second she left Mr. Grace's class that things would change. It was hard not to get used to by the man's sunny nature though, to think that life was all sunshine and rainbows just because he knew how to ramp things up a little.

Claire climbed up the tall steps into the bus, holding onto the rail. Just as her fingers peeled off of it and she rounded the corner to go down the aisle she saw it.

It being Six.

It being Six smiling.

Claire briefly considered herself hysterical before remembering that the man did in fact know how to smile. He could do it well even, a soothing balm before he punched someone's lights out.

He didn't just smile for no reason.

Claire looked at him for a moment, her brows knitting tightly. He caught her gaze in an instantly and gave her a once over carefully, as if trying to assess the issue. She just huffed dramatically, rolling her eyes.

"You look stupid like that." Is the only answer she gave before walking to the back of the bus. Far away from Six, deciding to ignore the borderline sappy look (for him) he was giving her teacher.

Three: After School Pick Up

Court sat waiting in his truck, hands in his pockets. The winter chill had fanned over the area by now, though it seemed like it was rather mild for the area. Still, his hands were stuffed in his coat as he waited, heater blowing in his face.

What was he waiting for? Claire.

She'd started her first exam season at public school, and while seeming confident she was nervous under it all. She'd gone from saying everything was going to be fine for her science exam to cramming the night before and on the way to school this morning. It had been impressive to see the girl drop the act for even a second, and Court had the idea to try and bring some comfort to her.

Maybe the mall. She seemed to like the mall.

It was a little late to be picking her up but Court knew that she liked to linger, liked to talk to the other students. It was probably due to being on her own away from other children for so long, so she soaked up any experience she got like a sponge. She was quickly making friends at least, something Court himself lacked at that age for obvious reasons, and was rather well adjusted.

Court eyed up the main door as it opened again, the familiar look of the science teacher and his daughter coming out. He couldn't help but smile to himself, though he knew he shouldn't. Claire always gave him this weird look when he would smile at Dr. Grace, like that she knew something he didnt or was annoyed with him. When pressed for more information she'd just shrug, waving him off with a 'you'll realize it one day' which… could mean anything from a teenage girl.

Court slipped himself out of the car, sliding on his black baseball cap and sunglasses. Dr. Grace and Claire seemed rather entangled in their conversation, the girl frazzled and trying to convince him of something.

"I understand you're worried about the exam, Claire, but I can't tell you the answer to any of the questions." Claire practically whined at her teacher, hands tightly on the straps of her bag. It was about the exam then, though she also just had the tendency to nag and pester for questions because that was just how curious she was. She practically hovered around Dr. Grace, like a planet orbiting the sun, and Court just slightly tilted his head to watch them both. The man just shook his head as he walked in front of her, rather amused. "I understand why you can't but nobody else is here!! Do you really think I can't keep a secret? You wound me, Dr. Grace! I just want to know if the genetics sheet ended up with Male C as the father."

Speaking of Dr. Grace's head, there was gauze on the side of it. Also a small little adhesive bandage with some cartoon characters on it. Court felt his jaw click as he gritted his teeth, analyzing it. He could see the edges of the abrasion just around where it wasn't covered. Low level road rash perhaps. The man also wasn't trying to veer off to his bike- which wasn't at the bike rack anyways. So, something bad had happened and he still went to work… and it looked like the man's eyes were a little blown wide.

Hm.

"Claire, stop harassing your teacher." Court grunted out, making both of the pair jump. Claire kicked at the ground in a huff. Dr. Grace didn't seem to mind, he never really did, just gently patting Claire's shoulder to console her. She grumbled under her breath a little but didn't bother begging more, knowing that it would be ineffective. ""Dr. Grace, what happened?"

"Oh, just a little scratch." Dr. Grace smiled as he said it, though he seemed a bit more…. bubbly as he did. The way his hand waved back and forth was a little stiff too, though he seemed find standing up on too feet. Court kept his eyes on the man carefully, watching through shaded lenses. He had to keep down the smile that he felt twitch against his lips as the teacher patted Claire's back, sending her over.

"He got hit by a car today." Claire said bluntly as she bounded over, shover her hands into Court's suit pockets. Its a behavior she had gotten recently, refiling through his things without care. Either she trusted him that he would stop her if he had a weapon or Claire was just so focused on the hard candy he'd been carrying to stop his gum habit that it didn't matter. She stuck the peach flavored lollipop in her mouth as Dr. Grace made a noise equivalent to a deflating rubber chicken, scandalized at being thrown under the bus (though hopefully not literally.)

"Maybe a concussion, he's a little dumb today." Claire hummed as she gave her guardian a pointed look. Court glanced back at her, raising a brow before she looked back to Dr. Grace then to the truck, and back to Court. She'd adapted well to the wordless way Court would sometimes communicate, using just the head and shoulders.

"You shouldn't be gossiping, Claire. Im fine, I assure you, don't worry about it." Dr. Grace raised his hands to pinch his brows, a weary sigh coming from his lips. Court didn't think it was truly gossip, but clearly the man didn't want to talk about it either way.

Court grunted as Claire elbowed him in the ribs, tilting her face towards her teacher. She wanted him to take Dr. Grace home, that much was clear. Court didn't mind the idea, truth be told, but he was a little wary on whether it would be a little too friendly for a teacher and parent.

"Ah." Dr. Grace perked up a little as he turned his head with a smile, making Court follow. There was a light blue Malibu parked just a bit away, a man with a mean face looking at the three of them. Court felt himself stiffen up, not even realizing the man was there and felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. "Sorry, my ride is here."

That was Dr. Grace's ride.

Court looked at the younger man carefully, trying to gauge where Dr. Grace could've met someone like that. The guy was quiet and eerie even from a distance, and it made Court clench his teeth as he shifted his daughter behind him.

Just barely on the top of the Malibu he could see scratches of paint, a bright red that stood out. It seemed to be a different kind of gloss too, and there was a slight scratch on the windshield.

Ryland had a red bike.

Court didn't want to know why he remembered that.

Court felt himself jutted in the ribs again and turned to Claire, who gave him an unimpressed look. They kept eye-contact with each other for five seconds until she groaned, throwing up her hands. She didn't stomp away without him though, dragging Court by the sleeve in a huff. As she hopped up into the truck she groaned, putting her face in her hands.

"I can't believe you…" She whined, shaking her head. Court turned the key in the ignition as he watched the pair in front of him, watching as the younger man opened the door for Dr. Grace. "You should have just offered him the ride instead of pussyfooting around it!"

"Don't use that kind of language." Court felt himself sigh heavily at to himself, not even knowing where she got that. Maybe it was another weird trend bringing back old words, like nothingburger, but he didnt bother to care. "He already had another ride here, it's not a big deal."

"You could still put yourself out there! Mr. Grace is nice, Six, and I quite like him." Claire rolled her eyes, only to snarkily grumble under her breath. "And he seems to too!"

"What?" Court sputtered out. "He's your teacher, Claire, you can't be getting at that kind of thing-" He didn't even know where this conversation was going but he was dreading it already, gripping onto the steering wheel.

"Aren't you upset that a younger guy is taking out Mr. Grace on a date?!" She huffed at him, motioning at the windshield. "I know he's my teacher but I'd like to have him in my life longer than that, Six. I think he'd be good for you!"

What. What. Huh.

Teenagers were impossible.

"What are you talking about?" Court asked, trying to stop himself from hitting his face into the wheel as he was driving. "They weren't going on a date that was the guy that hit Dr. Grace with his car!"

"They could still be going on a date- wait huh?" Claire leaned back in her seat, giving Court an incredulous look. "How… did you reach that conclusion?"

"Look, the guy doesn't seem like he'd be in a reasonable demographic to be talking to Dr. Grace. You mentioned he was in a car accident- and his bike wasn't with him at school either- so it would make sense he needed a ride. However, the guy looks meticulous with his car, no rust, no scratches on the lights at all, nothing. If it wasn't a '73 Malibu I wouldn't realize its not new. The top of the car was scratched though, along with some on the windshield. The scratches were a red paint with a chrome finish, not the glossy color typically used on cars. Dr. Grace's bike was a red, chrome bicycle. You also don't tend to see younger people be that… chivalrous, even for someone older-"

"ALRIGHTY!" Claire clapped her hands together. "Yes, you're super smart and tall I understand. Enough." She was exasperated by the fact that maybe the longest time she's heard him talk was to prove her wrong, but that's what fathers did. Court bit back a chuckle and watched her curl up in a huff, rolling her eyes and grumbling all the way home.

Court sighed heavily as he stood in front of the copy machine, glaring down at it. It was some faxes that needed to be hand out and the government liked to remain in a bygone era it seemed. His coworker, a woman he thinks is named Marissa and shuffles between working here and with the department of energy, is standing at the other machine, looking like she's going to kick it with her foot.

Well… may as well.

"Would you go on a date with someone who hit you with their car?" Court found himself asking out loud, turning over his shoulder to look at her. She paused in trying to melt the ancient machine with her eyes, picking up her cup of coffee from a nearby table.

"Hit me with their car?" She repeated in confusion, tapping her mug. She bit down on her lip as she watched the man nod, brows knit tightly. "Why are you considering that?"

"I'm not." Court sighed heavily, fanning through his stack of papers. "My daughter's attractive science teacher is… I think. I was trying to figure out if I should intervene."

Marissa made a face at that, rolling her eyes. She shifted back to lean against her copier, giving him a look. "Its not your job to intervene with your daughter's teacher. Plus, the woman probably just has a very stable life and wants some excitement."

Court thought about it for a moment, a frown crossing his face. Dr. Grace was a very active man before the UNESCO incident, but maybe he wanted to get back to that after stabilizing his life.

Was Court exciting enough for that? Or would his life be too much?

He quickly shook that out of his head, clearing his throat. "Yea, that would probably be what he's doing."

He could feel Marissa's eyes on the back of his head and he just kicked the copier, glaring down at it.

+Plus One: The Date

Claire quite likes being at school. She's adapted well to the swing of things, and even if she had to take a slower pace than she would prefer it was fine.

A calm life was a good life. She could do with no more excitement in her days.

Also she got to see Mr.Grace almost every day! Which was great because he was easy to talk to and she wanted him in her life even more. Six was a good man at heart, some cracks around the edges but those bad already started to smoothen out. Someone like Mr. Grace could only further the ease of a normal life, from his gentle demeanor but firm hand, to just having more company around the house.

It would make things a little less lonely, and maybe Claire wouldn't be stuck in a boring office after school most days.

Claire slipped out her worksheet from her folder, something about electrons and atomic numbers. She knew how to do it, of course she did, but the mornings were the perfect time to chat with Mr. Grace… And look at his things!

"Mr. Grace!" Claire chirped as she came up to him. He looked up at her with that smile, a little tired, maybe overwhelmed, but happy to help. "I had a question about what we were learning. The first shell holds two and the second one holds eight, but why does the third also hold eight?"

She handed over her paper to let him glance it over, eyes focused on the careful writing. Easy. Very very easy. Claire leaned against the desk, picking up a stack of sticky notes. She passed it between both her hands, watching it fold in on itself.

Right under the sticky notes was his agenda. He kept it on the desk all the time, it was probably the first thing he'd take out of his bag each day, a habit formed to try and keep himself organized.

Luckily for Claire he kept both his work and personal life in there. She glanced it over as he started to direct her on the work with a well thought out explanation, which she might pay half attention to if she's lucky.

• Tuesday: hand back progress reports, send parent emails, pick up suit from dry cleaners, call Jody

• Wednesday: go to pharmacy(driver?), go over new lesson plans, laundry day (DO NOT FORGET)

• Thursday: prep pop quiz, unit review, dinner with Marissa(Tennessee Diner 7pm)

That was just what she needed!

It didn't seem like Mr. Grace had lots of fun social activities but a restaurant would work! Claire was sure this Marissa would understand this endeavor and accept the interruption, considering her teacher's long held bachelor title.

(Did he ever date? He never really talked about that kind of thing, but he probably was just overwhelmed between getting kicked out of the academic field and being a school teacher)

"Wow! Thank you so much, Mr. Grace!" Claire hummed as she plucked her worksheet back, pulling away. He just chuckled as he stood up from his desk, offering a small fist bump before going off to monitor the now busier halls.

"Dad!" Claire ran up to the familiar truck before Six could even attempt to get out of it, throwing the door open. He looked like he's about to chastised her about running or the noise, probably on high alert from the sudden change. "I want to go to a restaurant!"

Six blinked slowly at her, squinting his eyes. He looked suspicious now, probably because she never made requests like this. Hobbies? Sure. Mall with friends or just walks? Easy! But Claire didn't ask to just… eat places, partially paranoia partially just unused to just being out and about like that.

"You… you want to go to a restaurant?" Six raised his brow, shifting around in his seat. He faced Claire a little more now, crossing his arms. "Why?"

"That's a normal thing for a daughter and father to do! That's just family stuff! My friend was telling me about how they always go to the same place once a week with their family and we don't do that." Claire squeezed her knees as she tried to make her point, tried to arrange some normalcy.

Which always seemed to get Six.

He didn't have a normal life, even now that he wasn't Sierra anymore, but he seemed too weak to the fact she wanted one. There were so many things he couldn't change, he couldn't get her parents back, he couldn't stop the nightmares, but they could play house. They could pretend, just for now, that they were normal.

"Not today." Six finally sighed, turning on the ignition to pull the car away from the school. "I need time to prep."

"Thursday evening?" Claire asked, hopeful. Six made a small grunt at that, tensing in his seat before he ultimately gave in with a nod. Score!

Court to work Directory:

Court G: The child wants to go out to a restaurant Thursday evening. Tennessee Grill. Want extra eyes, will cover the checks

Marissa: I'm down, was going to be there anyways

Kyle: Yea, I'll bite why not

Court G: Adequate, thank you both for your time.

Court stared at the outside of the building, really stared. It was rundown and a bit tattered, the painted stonework washed out from the California sun. He looked over at his daughter with an odd look, since here was where she had wanted to be. Not some fancy place, not some normal sit down service, but a family's hole in the wall with cheap food and plenty of it.

Teenagers had probably wanted weirder things

Court fiddled with his tie just enough to tug it loose, shaking his head with a sigh. This was probably Claire's continued attempt of wanting some normalcy, which lead with a family restaurant. He doesn't remember the last time he was even in a diner like this, but he'd do anything for her all the same.

"Where did you hear about this place again?" Court asked, sliding his hand through his hair. It was just enough to disguise him checking that his ear piece was on, just in case. Lots of things were just in case, the other CIA employees, the fact this was probably his third time here just because he needed to scope around the area.

"A friend." Claire hummed as she pulled open the door, stepping inside. The inside was dimly lit in a quiet kind of way, like it was comfort for the weary eyes. It was at least nicer on the inside than the outside, a nice layout, open seating. He'd prefer to get a table by the wall, somewhere that he'd be able to keep watch but as his eyes surveyed the area there was already a couple taking up the perfect corner booth-

Court felt his heart stop for a second.

That was Ryland. There was no mistaking the way the man gestured with his hands, the messy blond hair, the blue linen jacket Court had seen on him while he was managing bus duty and Court had come to pick up his daughter, and the ever eskew glasses barely hanging on his ears.

Speaking of his daughter, she was also looking over there. Her brows were slightly furrowed as if she was also taking in the situation. Court knew that after the incident with Lloyd Hansen taking over the CIA she'd gotten a lot better at reading people and judging them. It was probably a habit at this point, a protection.

"Can I get you two sweethearts a table?" A waitress came up to the front where they were both frozen, holding a couple of menus. Just as Court was going to vere away to the other side of the restaurant Clair went to the other side, going to Dr. Grace…

And Marissa!

"Claire, we don't need to be bothering them." Court practically hissed at the girl but it fell on entirely deaf ears. He couldn't even reach out to grab the back of her collar, forced to sheepishly follow his trouble making ward instead.

"Mr. Grace!" Claire greeted as she stood at the head of their table. The man banged his knee as he jolted in surprise, clutching at it as he turned to look. On the table was a wine and a beer, two things of water and some kind of fried appetizer that Court didn't recognize.

"Claire- Mr. Gentry?" The man's tone came out almost like a question, his brows high up on his head from schock. Marissa have a much more calm glance, side eyeing the pair carefully.

"You know Court?" Was the question that came out, her fingers curling around her glass. There was an odd tension as she gave Dr. Grace a look, a single brow raised and lips thinned out.

"Uh- yea yea. I teach his daughter here, Claire. She's in my first period science class- I could've sworn I mentioned her before?" Dr. Grace seemed a little out of his element as he scrambled for words, clearly caught off guard. Court was just about to grab Claire to let the poor man eat in peace when Marissa slid down the booth, patting the space beside her.

"You're this trouble maker's science teacher?" Marissa repeated, and Dr. Grace flustered. He looked like he wanted to move around the table before Claire sat down beside Marissa with ease, a wicked grin on her face. The blond then turned to look at Court who was standing still there and hesitantly moved down the booth to let him join.

"Claire's not… that bad. How do you know Claire?" Dr. Grace asked as he took a sip of his beer, the condensation of the glass wetting his hand. Clearly they'd been talking amongst themselves for awhile, and Court felt like Claire had just ruined whatever conversation that was being had. Still, he sat down beside Dr. Grace, looking out at the restaurant space in full view.

"Hey I'm not bad at all!" Claire huffed, rolling her eyes. "But Ms. Marissa works with my dad! Sometimes when I'm le- bored of sitting in his office I go to her's instead."

"Hm." Dr. Grace just nodded his head, seemingly accepting that. He didn't know much about Marissa's work other then government energy relations, but it wasn't impossible that Court was in a similar field. "Well, that's nice."

"She's a cute kid." Marissa shrugged her shoulders, raising a hand to ruffle up the teen's hair. That ended up giving her a fierce stink eye but the woman just shrugged it off, sipping on her wine. "Anyways, back to before, he sent you flowers? Seriously?"

"Yes!" Ryland groaned, taking another sip of his beer. "I literally came home the other day and Driver came up with me to hang and we get up to the door and there's just this bouquet there! Do you know how embarrassing that was? Oh my god and then I had to bring them inside because Driver picked them up for me and I snatched that card away so fast but I can't get rid of them because someone else knows they should be there."

"The situations you put yourself in." Marissa snrked, watching the waitress come back. She too the refills on their drinks and motioned for Claire and Court to get comfortable, though the younger was clearly much more invested in whatever gossip she stumbled in on. "He's a weird guy but he's not bad, right."

"Marissa." The way Dr. Grace sounded was almost a whine, and Court had to clench his jaw to not chuckle at it. He'd never seen the man act like this, maybe he was drunk, maybe he was just letting loose after most of a school week.

"I never even gave him the new address." The teacher shook his head and that made Court sit a little taller. Marissa's brows furrowed slightly as she gripped her glass, a low hum coming from her lips.

"…Could he have gotten it off the poster your brother sent? Or just asked Colt in genera?" She suggested, swirling around the glass. Dr. Grace thought about it for a second and nodded his head.

"I mean, maybe, but they hate each other. I don't know he's so weird just suddenly trying the stuff again after so long. Do you think it's because they're doing a movie here soon?" Dr. Grace leaned back against his seat as he thought, and Court just sighed. The waitress placed another water on the table and a milkshake- when did Claire order that…- before turning around to bring out plates.

"Gettin' more weirdos in your life, Rylie?" The woman asked as she leaned over Court to give said man his steak. Dr. Grace at least laughed at that, murmuring thanks as he shook his head.

"Yes, he gets them a lot." Marissa clicked her tongue, ignoring the pout sent her way. "Linda was a weirdo, your brother is also weird but in a more normal weird, maybe like a dog or something, you got Tom Ryder under your belt, your neighbor who hit you with his car…"

"Whattt." Dr. Grace pulled back, looking flabbergasted. Court raised a brow and then looked to Claire, who was halfway through a bite of pancake before it dropped off her fork.

"You know Tom Ryder?" She couldn't help but ask, blinking in surprise. Court was vaguely aware of the name some somewhere, probably an actor, but he couldn't think of a reason for a school teacher to know someone like that.

"Yes he does." Marissa quickly interjected, stealing a bite from Dr. Grace's steak. "Rylie's brother works for the guy and Toms like. Enamoured or something. Sends him flowers, signs stuff that Colt sends even though he really shouldn't."

"He's not under my belt… Wait when did I tell you I got hit by Driver's car." Dr. Grace finally zeroed back in on that part but Marissa just shoved food in his mouth to keep him quiet.

"Your swagless and autistic demeanor gets you so many weirdos, babe. Accept it. Anyways, Court brought it up at work a few weeks back, unknowingly, of course but the dots are easy to connect once you have the pieces." Marissa sighed softly, shrugging her shoulders. Court felt himself stiffening up, praying to whatever fates were out there that she didn't mention all that he said.

"Oh wait that makes so much sense." Claire mumbled under her breath, making Dr. Grace groan. The man was rather flushed in his embarrassment, but Marissa and Claire both seem quite pleased in making him uncomfortable. "Actually I think he's popular with the PTO parents too, I think I've seen at least three walk out of meetings just because he doesn't show."

"Courttt." Dr. Grace turned to the man beside him, wrapping an arm around his large bicep. "The girls are teaming up against meeeee."

Court decided he might be in heaven… He's never seen the man cling like this before, much less to him. It was…. Nice to see the vulnerable side of the man again, a reminded of his almost docile nature nowadays that was so unlike Court's own.

Court still just froze as the blond whined into his shoulder pathetically, mumbling things he couldn't quite understand. Marissa and Claire looked at one another and shared a look that bled into a smirk. He didn't like how well his coworker got along with his daughter, and almost wondered if she was the one encouraging his daughter's mischief these days.

"Another one bites the dust." Marissa just sighed, digging back into her food. "Let the man eat, Rylie. And eat your own food you're like two beers in you shouldn't be tipsy." The woman just advised. The teacher gave a huff and relinquished the arm he was holding onto, but Court allowed himself to shift and stay close.

"It was like…. Way more than two but okay. Anyways, how is your life been Marissa?" Dr. Grace kept his head on the other man's shoulder, cutting up his steak. Like this Court could easily eat the sandwich he had ordered, something efficient and meaty. It was easy to watch the three of them converse, even when it ended up with Marissa trying to get him to drink water.

Claire seemed quite happy with the company though, laughing and playing around too. She had this knowing glint to her eyes that Court had come to associate with when he was around the teacher. He just smiled to himself and ignored it for the time being. While Marissa may be mischievous it was good for his daughter to have older female relationships like this, and he couldn't bear the idea of actually regulating it.

Not until he needed to at least.