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Traditions Ch. 01

By: honeyblood



This is my first submission and I hope people will enjoy reading this. You all may notice several grammatical errors with in the story, and I know you'll probably find those very annoying. I am in desperate need of an editor, and if anyone would like to volunteer for the job, it would be greatly appreciated.

My story is based heavily around the gypsy culture. Not a lot of people really know about them and their strict traditions and morals. There are two main groups populating the UK. They are usually referred to as Romani Gypsies or Irish Traveler's. I figured it would be pretty interesting to read a story about them. If there is anything you'd like to share with me about their culture, please message me. I do not mean to offend anybody, and hope that people realize that this is a work of FICTION.

In the beginning, and especially when the Irish Traveler's (gypsies) talk, you'll notice a lot of weird spelling. I only did that so the readers could imagine what the character's would sound like with their accents. The main female protagonist and any other British person won't have any strange spellings in their words.

At one point, the male protagonist will perform an act called "grabbing" and the female lead. It's a gypsy custom where boys grab girls and pull them aside for a kiss, whether or not a girl is willing to give them one or not. It's usually a sign that the boy likes the girl, and is in no way meant to be offensive. Although, there are cases where boys can be extremely rough (as you will see later on in my story) in this chapter it won't be too bad.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this story. Comments are much appreciated, and I hope to post more soon. 

*****************************

Traditions

"Oy, Declan, you missed a branch!" someone shouted from below.

Declan took off his safety mask and pushed back his disheveled, black hair. Looking down from the twelve foot ladder he was perched on, he saw his cousin down below staring back up at him. 

"Wha' dyou say, mate?" He turned off his chain saw so he wouldn't have to shout over the noise of the machine.

"I said you missed a branch," lifting his head Aidan pointed towards the top of the tree. "Right up thar."

Declan leaned back and looked up at the tree he had been working on for the past hour. He sighed when he noticed the one lone tree limb sticking out from the now perfectly trimmed tree. He'd been trying to get that same branch for past fifteen minutes when he had decided to give up on it. Securing his mask, he hefted his chainsaw in his hand. The ladder he was on was only so tall, and the chainsaw only stretched so far. Pulling at the chord, he revved up his chainsaw and reached for the branch one more time.

"Ahh... Oy, I can't reach it. It's too high." He yelled back down to his cousin.

"Well what are you gona do then?"

Looking back up, he simply shook his head and headed back down. "Fuck it." The branch was too high and it was impossible to reach.

"You're not gona get it?" Aiden came up behind him and steadied the ladder.

He shook his head. "Naw, there's no point."

"Man, if the owner sees it and doesn't pay us our money, I bet you won't be shrugging your shoulder's like you are now." 

"He won't notice. Blocks like him never do." Lifting up his saw he walked over to their old, pickup truck and placed it in the back with all their other yard tools.

Aiden looked at his cousin for a moment before shaking his head and turning back to the ladder. "Jimmy," he nodded to his little brother who was patiently sitting on the stoop, "help me with this thing." 

Once the ladder and all the other tools were put onto the back of the truck , all three of them walked back up to the house where the owner was waiting. The middle aged man that owned the house was quite short compared to the tall boys who had worked his yard, and had a protruding belly and a bald spot. When the three boys first laid eyes on him, they found the sight of this man quite comical. He had only been wearing a navy blue bath robe when the first arrived at his house. Now, as he emerged from the small home, the owner had taken it upon himself to look more presentable, choosing to wear a light grey sweater and knee length plaid shorts. They didn't dare laugh however, because they knew it would be rude. This man was a new client, and they wanted to make a good impression so he would be more inclined to hire them again.

"Well well boys," he said as he looked around his newly trimmed yard, "looks pretty good. You boys did well." He gave them a small smile.

Declan smiled at this. They had worked exceptionally hard replanting flowers and trimming the yard and surrounding trees. They even went the extra mile by cleaning out the ugly bird bath in the middle of the green lawn. Hopefully, if things went well, they would be recommended to other people in the area.

"We hope that ever'ting is to your liking, Mr. Cumberland." 

"Umm," Mr. Cumberland merely nodded, not really paying attention to the boys as he surveyed his lawn.

His response really irked Declan, for he did not like to be ignored. To him, it was just disrespectful to be treated in such a way. Turning back to his two cousins, he gave them a stressed glare and inclined his head to Mr. Cumberland as if to say "Do you see this guy". Knowing how easily annoyed his cousin can get, Aiden place a calloused hand on his shoulder and shrugged. Aiden gave him a look that said "Just let it go."

Turning back to the boys, Mr. Cumberland looked at the boys with confusion for a moment, as if trying to remember why they were still there. After a second, realization hit him and he reached into the back pocket of his ugly shorts and brought out his wallet.

"Well I reckon I'll have to pay you boys for your hard work." He said laughingly as if he just told a joke.

"Well no'ting in life is free." Delcan spoke in a sarcastic tone.

Mr. Cumberland gave him a hard look before handing each of the boys their money. Quickly, Declan counted then recounted his pay.

"Sir, we're supposed to get ten pounds each."

"Yes, that's right."

"Then why'd we only get five?"

Cumberland shrugged. "Because the job wasn't done right." He said in matter-a-fact voice.

This time Aidan spoke up. "What?" 

Cumberland sighed and lifted his hand toward the tree Declan had been working on. One lone branch stuck out. "You didn't finish with my tree."

Jimmy jumped in. "The branch is too high. We weren't able to reach it."

"Yes, but I expected to get the job done. I was going to pay ten pounds for a finished job. You boys didn't finish, so you're not getting the full amount."

Declan pinched the bridge of his nose, something he did frequently whenever he was annoyed. "Sir, we understand what yar saying, but we couldn't get the branch and we really need the money. I promise that next time we will have better supplies and will be able to get everything prim and proper the way ya like. But we need money in order to get the supplies. So could ya please pay us?"

"You know, you boys came highly recommended, and I expect nothing but the best." Cumberland grumbled. "So maybe next time, if you get the job done right, I'll pay you the full amount." With that, Mr. Cumberland turned and walked back into his home.

Declan stood there for a few seconds more, clenching and unclenching his jaw. After twenty-two years, he should have been use to the treatment he received from country people. He knew the real reason why he and his cousin's weren't getting paid. It had nothing to do with the fact that they missed a damn branch. It had everything to do with the fact that they were Irish Travelers, gypsies. 

Gypsies had always had to deal with discrimination, and it was no different in Liverpool, England. Many times he and his cousin would have trouble finding work because they were gypsies. People would take one look at them and turn them away. Gypsies are loud, boisterous people, and wouldn't do well in the work place. Oh, gypsies travel a lot and wouldn't make a good employee because they would just end up leaving. Stereotypes like these made it hard for them. So whenever they had the chance to do the occasional odd job, they would do it. They needed the money and were not getting an income any other way.

Noticing his agitated cousin, Aidan stepped forward and pulled at his arm. "Come on, there's no use cry'in over it. You know how country folk are."

Declan sighed. "Yeah, I do." Turning around he let Aidan drape his arm over his shoulder and lead him back to the truck. One by one, the three boys filed into the front cab, with Jimmy in the middle seat. It was a good forty-five minute drive to get to their small trailer plot home outside of Liverpool. It was not as grand as the modern suburban homes they were passing by, but it was still home. Growing up, Declan and his parents traveled frequently across the UK, commuting from city to city in their small caravan. But they had long since settled down due to the increasing size of their family. Aidan and his family did much the same, and lived right next door to Declan.

Looking over at his cousin, Aidan could see that Declan was still steaming about the way Mr. Cumberland had gipped them. He was staring straight ahead with his jaw clenched and his hands gripping the steering wheel.

Aidan sighed. "I toll d'you to cut that branch."

"Shut up."

"There's no need to be getting mad about it, mate. I warned you this would happen, and now you're getting upset because you lost us our money."

"I said shut the fuck up." He hated when his cousin was right. Yes he knew that he should have tried harder to get the bloody branch. Yes he knew that Mr. Cumberland could have docked there pay because of it. But Aidan didn't have to bloody well rub it in his face.

"I'm just saying man." Aidan held his hands up in surrender and turned his head to look at the passing trees.

"Stupid country people." Declan muttered under his breath.

"Come on Dec, at least we got paid." Jimmy piped in.

"What are you two, my support group?"

Jimmy smiled. "With the temper you have, you need one." Off to the side, Aidan tried to cover his laugh.

Looking over at the two brothers, Declan could see the strong resemblance between them. Many of their facial features were the same. They both had the same chin, the same smile and the same forehead. The only difference between the two was Jimmy's freckles and carrot red hair that he had inherited from his mother. Aidan, thank heavens, was blessed with wavy blond hair.

"Relax mate," Aidan said, "today was a good day overall. Hopefully, it's about to get better."

"What d'you mean?" Turning the wheel, he exited off the highway and began traveling down a back road.

Aidan gave a devilish smile. "We're goin out tonight."

"Awesome!" Jimmy started to jiggle in his seat.

"Not you squirt." Aidan playfully rubbed his brother's moppy read hair. "It's just gona be me and Declan this time."

"What!" Jimmy looked at his brother in disbelief.

"Declan needs some...alone time, to unwind. I think taking him out to one of the discos will help blow off some steam."

"And I can't go?"

"No."

"That's completely unfair. I'm sixteen years old. I should be able to go out with ya, go party, find girls."

"Oh, so it's girls yar after." Aidan smiled. "Trust me; there will be plenty of time for girls later. Your young, and in a couple more years, they will be fallen all over ya and beggin to marry ya." He chuckled at the thought.

"Oh no, not me." Jimmy shook his head. "I just want to have some fun. I ain't lookin to get hitched no time soon."

"Well that's all me and Declan are lookin for tonight, some fun." Looking back at his cousin, Aidan reached across the car and nudged Declan. "What d'ya say Dec? Ready for a night out?"

"No."

"Come on, mate. It's just one night."

He shook his head. "Not interested. Plus, I've got to get up early in the morning to go to the gym. I've got fight's comin up that I need to train for."

"More reason to take a night off. You've been working your butt off lately."

Declan shook his head as they pulled into the trailer park. Home sweet home, Declan thought as he gazed out at the small plot he and his family lived on. 

Five years ago his father, Ducky, had gotten permission from the local government to be able to build a trailer park on a small plot of land. He built it in hope that it would become a home for other Irish Travelers who wanted to settle down. In the past several years, many gypsy trailer parks had been destroyed. People's prejudices had kept many gypsy families from settling down in some of the small cities. They were afraid to have such a secretive and alien community so close to home, and as a result, would protest against having them build homes nearby. Irish Travelers and Romani Gypsies alike have been evicted without warning, and no home to go to. 

Declan's family was the victim of one of those horrible evictions. His father had refused to leave and Declan and his siblings had to sit back and watch as there small trailer home was torn down by huge bulldozers. 

Looking out through the driver's side window, Declan couldn't help but smile a little as he saw his little brother's and sister's play with some of the other kids in the street. Knowing that his siblings were living a life he never had, made him happy. They were going to get a better education then he had and we're going to be given more opportunities in live. That thought made him a little proud.

That small moment died as Aidan walked around the cab and leaned in through the window. Declan gave him a hard look and sighed.

"I'm not going."

"Yes, ya are. You want to know why?" He didn't wait for a response. "Because tonight is the perfect night to go out. You've been annoyed this entire ride home; and what better way to unwind then with some booze and couple of girls. Then, when ya wake up in the morning, ya won't be as cranky when ya work out."

Declan just stared at Aidan. "Ya know it wont be a very good morning if I'm hungover."

"Eh...we'll limit your drinking then."

The pleading look Aidan was giving was too much for Declan. He let out a small chuckle as he watched his cousin cup his hands as if he were praying. He had thought that after the crappy treatment Mr. Cumberland had given him, it would just be better if he went home and relaxed for the night. But sitting there thinking back on his day, maybe going to a disco was the key realizing some steem.

"Ok ok. Fine, I'll go out." He smiled and opened the car door, effectively hitting the Aidan in his side. 

"Ow." 

"You have to move so I can get ready." Declan spoke through a small laugh.

"Damn near busted my shoulder."

Walking past his cousin, Declan smacked Aidan in his sore shoulder. "You'll get over it."

***********

"Cheyanne, I think there is something wrong with you?"

Looking up from her Pre-calculus homework, Cheyanne saw her roommate standing in the door, wearing another one of her infamous clubbing out fits.

"Hannah, what have you got on?" 

"What? It doesn't look good?" Suddenly worried that something was wrong with her get up, Hannah frantically ran to the mirror hanging up in the corner. 

Cheyanne couldn't help but laugh at her friend. They had been roommates for the past three months and Cheyanne had yet to get use to her roommate's crazy antics. While she was content to remain in her room studying for her classes, Hannah was always out partying at the hottest night clubs and sporting the cutest styles. Hannah had frequently tried to invite Cheyanne on several of her crazy outings, but she would always refuse. Cheyanne was in Liverpool on an international scholarship and could not afford to allow even the slightest drop in her grades. After a while, Hannah realized that there was nothing that would get her new friend out of the turtle shell she put herself in. But for some strange reason, she felt like tonight would be different.

Giving herself a good look over, Hannah was satisfied that her clothes were ok.

"I really like this top," she said as she pulled at the glittering top, allowing for more of her ample breasts to show. "The guy at the store said it looked nice on me."

"I bet he did," Cheyanne spoke under her breath. Darn thing looks like a bra, she thought to herself. Shaking her head, Cheyanne went back to staring at her math homework.

"Anyway," turning back to her friend, Hannah sighed when she saw that her roommate had returned to her homework. "What I was saying is that I think there is something wrong with you."

"Oh, why do you think that?" Cheyanne said, not bothering to look up from her notes.

"Because in the three months you've been living here, I haven't seen you go out once. You're either in class, in your room, or at work. I don't think you've even been on a date since we've started school." Hannah stood there and watched as Cheyanne continued to write notes in her notebook.

Hannah placed her hands on her hips. "Cheyanne are you listening?"

"Huh?"

Obviously not.

"Cheyanne!"

Slowly, Cheyanne lifted her head. "I'm sorry were you saying something?"

Hannah sighed. "See this is what I'm talking about." Walking over to her friend, Hannah grabbed the notebook out of Cheyenne's hands.

"Hey!" She tried to make a grab for it but Hannah effectively dodged her and placed her hand out of Cheyanne's reach. "I need that."

"Don't you see? This is exactly what I'm talking about. You're so wrapped up in your school work, you can't even pay attention to what's going on around you. " Hannah quickly grabbed the Calculus book on the desk when she noticed Cheyanne's hand slowly inching towards it.

"Seriously, Hannah?" Cheyanne sighed.

"If you want them back, you have to do something for me."

Cheyanne narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Come out with me."

"No."

"Please," Hannah pleaded. "Just for tonight."

"No, give me my book back. I have a test coming up in a week."

"So you'll have plenty of time to study. All I'm asking is that you come out with me, just this once. You've been cooped up here for far too long, and I've finally gotten sick of it. I'm starting to think you're arachnophobic or something."

Cheyanne laughed. "I think you mean agoraphobic."

Hannah flailed her arms out. "Whatever. The point is you need to get out, and at least try enjoy what college life has to offer before you graduate."

Cheyanne leaned back in her chair and looked back at her feisty, young British friend. Never had she ever met someone so full of life before. She remembered back to her first day in Liverpool and how scared she was being by herself in a new place. Hannah had been the first person she ran into at the university. It was a surprise to find out that they were actually roommates, and they talked to each other all the way to their room; or rather, Hannah did all the talking while Cheyanne just listened. As soon as they settled themselves into their two bedroom apartment, Hannah had shot out of the room exclaiming that she was going to a party she had just heard about.

"Wait," Cheyanne stopped her in the doorway. "You don't want to look at the campus, or talk to some of the teachers?"

Hannah merely laughed. "I'll see them when classes start, silly. I've got a party to go to." And with that she bounced away and never looked back.

Looking at the fiery, blond in front of here, Cheyanne knew all too well that when Hannah had a goal in mind; she would not stop until she got what she wanted.

With that thought, Cheyanne took a big breath and sighed.

"You know I've never seen you put this kind of effort into your school work before." She smiled.

"I know, but I promise I'm working on it. Will you please go with me?" Sticking her bottom lip out, Hannah made the ugliest sad face in the world.


Traditions Ch. 01



Cheyanne couldn't help but laugh. "Ok, fine I'll go."

Hannah let out a long, high pitched squeal, causing Cheyanne to cover her ears to drown out the noise. 

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you." 

"Yeah, yeah, just give me back my books."

Hannah all but through the books in her lap, causing the rolling chair she was sitting in to move back a few inches.

"I swear, sometimes I think your head might explode from all the extra studying you do." Hannah quickly whipped her hair and headed back over to the mirror to reapply some lipstick.

"Well some of us aren't on the seven year graduation track like you." She neatly put all of her books into a pile on her desk before standing up.

Hannah ignored the comment and put her lipstick back into her small clutch. "So how long do you think it will take for you to get ready?"

"I'm already ready."

Hannah did a slow take before asking. "Are you serious?"

"What?" Cheyanne looked down at the outfit she was wearing. "These are my comfortable jeans."

Hannah made a face. "I know, and while they do make your butt look good, your pants, along with those shoes and that shirt, are not good to go clubbing in. How do you expect to get any guys attention wearing," she raised her hand and motioned toward her friend's clothes, "that."

"Ok then, what do you suggest?"

Hannah looked at her friend, and after giving it a moment, a small light bulb went off in her head. 

"I've got the perfect thing." Hannah quickly sprinted away to here room, leaving Cheyanne alone in a bewildered state. 

She stood there for a few minutes, listening to her roommate shuffle around in her closet before quickly reappearing with a shiny, green piece of cloth. Cheyanne stared at it for a moment, before widening her eyes in realization.

"Oh no."

"Oh yes." Hannah smiled.

After thirty, long minutes and a hard struggle, Cheyanne finally stood before the mirror looking at herself in the small emerald dress. She couldn't deny that the color complimented her milk chocolate skin quite nicely. The shimmering effect of the dress made her darker tone even out, and made her seem alluring. She was a little surprised that it had fit her like a glove. She was sure the dress would have been a bit loose around the top area, given that Hannah wore a size D in bra. The dress, however, fit rather nicely, showing off just enough cleavage to be able to tempt any guy that walked by. Cheyanne did have her dislikes, though. The halter top dress was a little too short for her likening; barely stopping on her mid-thigh.

Hannah walked up behind her and looked at her friend in the mirror. "It actually looks really good on you."

"You think so?" Cheyanne turned from the mirror to look at her friend. "It's not too much?"

"No, of course not. Its perfect, and the shoes look great with it." Hannah said as she looked down at the shiny black pumps Cheyanne was sporting.

"Is my makeup good?"

Hannah merely laughed. "Of course, silly, I'm the one who did it."

She nodded her head and turned back to the mirror. Cheyanne couldn't deny that Hannah had done a remarkable job with her hair and make-up. She was able to create that Angelina Jolie, smoky eye look that most people tried to imitate and had done her hair up in loose Jessica Simpson waves. Running her hands through her thick locks, Cheyanne looked mesmerized as she watched her hair flow through her fingers like a black waterfall.

Turning around, Cheyanne tried to get a look of her back side.

"My butt actually looks big in this."

Hannah gave her a confused look. "Don't all girls have big butts?"

Cheyanne laughed. "Not always."

"Plus, aren't you from Dallas? I thought people liked to do things big over there."

"Yeah, well they try." Cheyanne turned around and looked at herself once more. "I look... amazing."

Hannah smiled. "I know. Aren't I brilliant?" Grabbing two purses from the bed, Hannah walked back and handed the black one to her. "Now come on, we don't want to miss out on all the cute boys."

********

Delcan stared out at the sea of bodies that were moving to the rhythm of the loud music. Sweaty bodies gyrated to the beat, as they raised their glasses to the ceiling. Amongst the large group, were several good looking gypsy girls looking to have a good time. To his left, Aidan was effectively scoping out the crowd, looking out for two fine girls to go dance and chat up with. 

Declan wasn't as stoked as he was when her first arrived at the disco. He had hoped that a night out with his cousin would help lift his spirits. But one look at the crowded night club and he knew the night wouldn't last long.

Aidan patted him on the shoulder. "Wha' bout that one?" He said as he pointed to a perky brunette in a be-jeweled pink outfit.

Declan shook his head. "No." 

"Alright...what about those two." He pointed at the two girls closest to them. The cute blonds, most likely sisters, we shaking their bodies and gyrating their hips; desperately trying to get the two boys' attention. One of them even had the nerve to wink at Declan as he watched her dance.

"No. Not them."

Aidan sighed in defeat. "Come on mate, you've got to work wit me here. There's not a lot of girl's to pick from tonight."

"Not my problem. You're the one that dragged me here, remember." Giving his cousin one hard stare, he stood up from where he was leaning on the wall and started walking away. "I'm getting a drink." He shouted behind him, and head towards the crowded bar. 

Hannah and Cheyanne walked into the large night club and gazed into the vast crowd of people. Cheyanne wasn't use to being in such a crowded place, and was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. Hannah failed to notice.

"Isn't this great? This place is packed."

"Should we try to find a place to sit?" Cheyanne had to practically yell in her friend's ear in order to be heard over the loud music.

Gazing out over the thousands of heads on the dance floor, Hannah was able to find one table towards the back. Taking her hand, Hannah quickly worked Cheyanne and herself through the crowd and quickly grabbed the table before anyone else could.

"That was lucky. It's almost impossible to find table's when it's this crazy."

"I can see why." Cheyanne said and she looked out at the large amount of people.

Most everyone was on the dance floor, moving to the loud club music. There was a large crowd up at the bar and Cheyanne was glad that she wasn't particularly thirsty. The bartenders seemed busy, frantically moving back and forth. It would probably take a while for them to get there drinks if they walked up there now.

Staring out at the dancer's, Cheyanne couldn't help but notice certain individuals. Several groups on the floor were made up of scantily dressed girls, who were dancing quite provocatively within their small circle. All the outfits they wore were extremely short and tight, showing way too much skin then was absolutely necessary. They didn't seem to notice the odd looks they were getting and didn't really venture outside of their own groups. Staring at the strange girls made Cheyanne really curious.

"Hey," she inclined her head to one of the group of girls. "Who are those people?"

Hannah took one look at them and shrugged. "Probably some of the Irish Travelers or Romani people."

Cheyanne was confused. "Who?"

Hannah leaned towards her friend. "Gypsies."

Cheyanne's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah," Hannah nodded. "Most of them live right outside town in trailer parks. They're very secretive and don't usually come into town that often. This is the first time I've seen them here in a while."

"Do you come here often?"

"Only a couple times a month." Hannah turned and gave her a devilish smile. "Come on, let's go dance."

Hannah went to grab her arm but Cheyanne stepped back. "Oh no. The deal was that I would go out with you. I didn't say I would dance."

"Come on, didn't you ever dance at parties?"

Cheyanne crossed her arms. "Well yeah, but-,"

"But nothing. You are coming out on this dance floor with me and that's finally."

Catching her arm, Hannah yanked her friend from out of her chair.

"My purse?"

"We'll just leave them at the table. Now come on, stop stalling." Pulling at her friends arm, Hannah dragged them out to the middle of the dance floor and let go of her friend in the crowd.

Immediately, Hannah started to move with the music, lifting her hands up and moving from side to side. She was at home on the dance floor, and knew just how to move her body to gain the attention of the guys. Cheyanne on the other hand was like a fish out of water. Yeah, when she was in high school she use to go to some of the parties, but she was always surrounded by people she knew and would never feel stupid when dancing with them. Standing on the dance floor, surrounded by all these strange people, made her feel a little nervous.

Noticing her friend's apparent paralysis, Hannah turned to her and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Come one Cheyanne, it's just a little dancing. You're not going to let these people ruin your fun are you?"

Turning her gaze to the crowd surrounding her, she realized that no one cared enough to notice if she was dancing silly or not. She was just being her ridiculous, insecure self. She wasn't going to be that girl tonight though. Cheyanne squared her shoulders and looked back at her friend.

"No, I'm not." 

"That's my girl." Hannah gently nudged her and got right back into the groove she had started earlier.

Staring at her friend, Cheyanne decided she would try copying some of the moves Hannah was doing. Moving her hips, she began twisting her body in quick circular motions.

"Yeah! There you go, girl. I knew you had it in you."

Once she got her own groove going, Cheyanne gave her own devilish smile to Hannah.

"Let me show you how we do it back in Texas." With that, Cheyanne started moving her body and twisting her hips at a pace that almost matched the beat of the fast music playing. She almost missed the sound of her friend laughing next to here. Not having a care in the world, she simply closed her eyes and let her body move to the music.

Across the room, Declan had finally made his way to the bar.

"What will it be?" One of the men behind the counter asked.

"Two Corona's, please." The bartender quickly placed them in front of Declan and then went to go cater to another customer.

Delcan had barely gotten his first sip down when Aidan came bounding up behind him.

"Don't mess wit me right now, I'm trying to enjoy my beer."

"I know, but ya got to check out these girls down here."

Declan sighed and turned to his cousin. "I'm sure there about as appealing as the other girls we've seen tonight."

"Not these girls." Aidan quickly grabbed his cousin by the chin and turned his head towards the middle of the dance floor.

It took a moment for Declan to settle his eyes on the two girls, but once he found them he couldn't take his eyes off them. These two had to be the exact opposites of each other, but there dancing and there outfits complemented each other quite nicely. The blond woman in the short white top was quite cute, and the way she moved her hips was very sexy. But it was the woman in the shiny green dress that had captured Declan's attention. Her body moved so sensuously in the dress she was wearing. The material acted like a second across her curves. Her curves, oh, her curves were just perfect for him. Declan could already imagine rapping his hand round her small waste...before slipping them down across her full hips. The image his mind was conjuring up was causing the member in his jeans to harden.

Declan held his breath as she turned around to give him a good view of her back side. Damn, the girl had an ass; just enough to fill both his hands. Her raven like hair was flowing across her back, and he could just imagine what they felt like running through his fingers. Probably felt just like velvet. He couldn't get a clear view of her face, since she was angled away from him; but he knew that with a body like that, she had to be one beautiful woman.

"So what do you think man?" Aidan asked as he looked at his enthralled cousin.

Declan took a large gulp of his beer, before slamming it down on the counter.

"The girl in the green is mine."

Aidan chuckled. "Game on then." He took one last sip of his beer and walked with Declan out on to the dance floor.

Cheyanne had been dancing without a care in the world when Hannah decided to lean into her.

"Watch out. There are a couple of stud muffins walking our way."

Cheyanne honestly couldn't care. She had no interest in getting involved with someone tonight. She simple wanted to continue having fun, and enjoy the rest of her evening.

"Evenin ladies," One of the tall men said.

Hannah giggled "Evening boy."

"Mind if we dance wit you's lovely ladies."

Hannah simply nodded her head while Cheyanne ignored them. She watched for a moment as the tall blond one stood behind Hannah and began to dance with her. Hannah had said that there were two men approaching them, but Cheyanne had yet to see the other one. Obviously taking the hit, the other guy must have left when he noticed she had no interest in dancing with him.

Suddenly, she felt two large hands rap around her waist and pull her backwards into a hard body. She struggled for a moment until the hands loosened around her waist.

"Don't worry, dove. I got you." A manly voice whispered in her ear.

Cheyanne snorted and tried to walk out of the man's embrace. She was shocked to find he wouldn't let up.

"Come on, girly, just one dance." He breathed in her ear.

Realizing that this guy wouldn't let up until she let up, Cheyanne sighed and began slowly twisting herself against the man.

"That's it, dove, just like that."

Declan loved the way her hips were moving against his. Each movement was like a soft caress against his manhood. He couldn't help but let his hands wander over her body. Each curve that his hands passed over, he committed to memory. Taking his right hand, he brushed his fingertips across her arm. So smooth, he thought to himself as he felt her skin.

Cheyanne couldn't understand what this man was doing to her. It was like his hands were everywhere at once. The hand that ran across her arm, raised goose bumps on her flesh. She couldn't help but push herself closer to him, get closer to his touch. Twisting her hips more, she rubbed her backside across his front. She got a little excited when she felt a hard bump graze her lower back.

Declan had to hold back a groin when she rubbed her ass against his already hard dick. She certainly wasn't making it easy for him. Pushing her hair away from her shoulder, he leaned in and skimmed his nose against the crook of her neck. He loved the smell of coconut wafting off her skin, and it made him wonder what she would taste like. Sticking his tongue out, he hesitantly traced the tip across her shoulder. Mmm so good, he thought to himself. 

Never had a gypsy girl turned him on so much. Where did this girl come from?

Cheyanne let out a small moan when his tongue tasted her shoulder.

"Ya like that, dove?"

Cheyanne couldn't manage simple words at the moment and could only nod her head.

"Ya taste really good." Cupping her face, he inclined her head to him. "Can I taste your lips?"

Cheyanne looked up at the rugged Adonis above her. She couldn't form words as she looked into the beautiful blue eyes of the man before her. Placing her hand at her back, Cheyanne could feel all the hard planes of his abdomen. Black hair fell in loose waves around his face as he looked down upon her.

Declan was completely mesmerized by this girl. The dark shadow he cast upon her, along with the dim lighting of the room didn't help in showing her face, but he could make out her beautiful brown eyes and her cute kissable lips. The small pouty look she gave him was all it took for him to lose control. He didn't even wait for an answer as he pressed his lips against hers.

She was in no way prepared for the soul shattering kiss this man was giving her. She felt completely shell shocked as small tingly sensation began to build in her lips and in her panties. Nothing else in the room existed at the moment. All the dancers in the room and the loud music in the room were gone, pushed back into the recesses of her otherwise occupied mind. Even the thought of her friend Hannah couldn't push itself to the front of Cheyanne's thoughts. All that mattered was the man she was kissing right now.

Oh God, Declan screamed in his mind, this woman tastes like heaven. Never had something tasted so sweet to him. Opening her mouth wider, he slipped his tongue past her lips. A small groan emitted from her throat, making his dick jump to attention. The strain he felt in his pants quickly made him realize just how easily he was losing control. Slowly, Declan released her lips and let out a small chuckle. This woman had reduced him to a mere boy in a matter of seconds.

"What have ya done to me woman?" he said in a husky voice.

Cheyanne was still panting heavily, with her eyes still closed. She was having a little trouble collecting her thoughts together. Suddenly hearing the loud music in the back ground, Cheyanne quickly opened her eyes. Had she completely forgotten where she was? She frantically looked around hoping no one had seen her horrible loss of control.

"I...I'm sorry," she whispered to him.

"Hey, are you alright?"

She couldn't look up at her Adonis now. She didn't want to him to see the look of embarrassment across her face.

"I'm sorry I have to go." She had spoken a bit louder that time, but her voice was still shaky. No doubt she was still shaking off the effects from that kiss.

Without saying anything else to the gentleman, Cheyanne pushed away from him and headed back to her table to collect her purse.

He was surprised, to say the least, that she had just up and left him standing in the middle of the dance floor. He didn't know what he had done to make her run away from him. But then it hit him. Oh, the way he had behaved was just horrible. Here he was, twenty-two years old, and he had treated the girl as if he was an eager young fourteen years old. He was ashamed of himself. His father had always taught him to treat girls with the utmost respect. Most gypsy girls were virgins, even at his age, and hadn't even shared a kiss with a boy before. Here he was practically mauling one in the middle of the dance floor.

He needed to catch up with her and apologize for kissing her in such a manner. But even as he went to take his first step, Declan couldn't help but think about how amazing that kiss was. Licking his lips he could still taste how sweet she was.

Damn it all, he needed to find her and grab her before she slipped out of the club. Any girl that could drive him that crazy, he couldn't afford to lose.

Reaching the table, Cheyanne took hold of the sides to steady herself and took three long, cleansing breath. Oh God, how could she humiliate herself like that? She couldn't believe that she had acted in such a way. Her family had raised her on high morals, and those morals defiantly didn't allow her to make out with some stranger in a freaking night club. She had to leave. As soon as she could find Hannah, she was getting the heck out of there. Reaching across the table, Cheyanne grabbed hold of her purse before being violently yanked away from the table.

"Ahh, hey, what are you doing?" She tried to wiggle out of the man's arms as he pulled her further back into the dark night club. "Let go of me!"

"Calm down." The voice whispered into her ear.

"No, let go!" She tried hitting him with her arms but he kept her arms firmly in place.




Traditions Ch. 01



"I said, calm down now."

"Let go!"

Somewhere in the darkness, the man holding her had found a door and took them through it. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the change in light, but Cheyanne could tell that the door must have led them outside, probably to the ally beside the club. 

The large man holding her roughly pushed her against the wall and used his chest to pin her there.

"Why don't ya give me one more kiss before you leave."

Recognizing the voice, Cheyanne looked up into the face of the man she had been dancing with inside.

"You must be crazy."

"Come on, just one kiss." He pleaded. "Of course, I'll opt for your phone number as well."

"In your dreams." She spit at him.

"Fine, then I'll just take your number." He smiled down at her and rubbed his hand against her soft cheek. Closing his eyes, he inhaled her scent once more.

"No." Giving him one good shove, Cheyanne found that she was able to push him back enough to give him one good kick to the knee.

"Ahh!" Declan crumpled over and clutched his left knee.

Putting a good five feet away from him, Cheyanne turned and faced her capture. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Ahh, oww, Damn it!" Declan continued to rub his sore knee.

"Answer me!" she shouted.

He straightened up. "Damn, woman, what the hell you do that..." Turning to her he stopped mid-sentence as he gazed at the beauty he had just tried to grab. He had never gotten the chance to get a good look at her face when they were inside. All the lights were dimmed down, and made it hard to see anyone on the dance floor. Now, standing under the fluorescent lights of the ally, he could see her perfectly. He had made a huge mistake in thinking that she was a gypsy. This girl wasn't even white.

"Yar black."

"Well no dip Sherlock, of course I'm black." Cheyanne paused for a moment before place her hands on her hips. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Declan was momentarily distracted by the way her hands sat on her sexy hips. "What? Oh, no no, I didn't mean it like that."

"Then what the hell did you mean?"

"I thought you were," he tried to think of a way to put it lightly, "someone else."

She stared at him in disbelief. "Are you serious? Who could you have mistaken me for? You know what, maybe I should go find this person I look so much like and try to warn them about you."

Now he was starting to get annoyed. "Oh come on now, you're just being ridiculous."

Cheyanne gasped. She could not believe what she was hearing. "I'm being ridiculous? I'm not the one grabbing random women and pulling them out into deserted allies."

This girl was getting him all wired up and he didn't like the way she was pushing his buttons. He took a step forward and looked down at her with a hard stare. "Trust me, little dove, if you were any other girl I know, you wouldn't be spitting fire at me like ya are now."

Not intimidated by his tough guy façade she continued. "Oh really, well then I guess the other girls you know must either be crazy or stupid to let you treat them like that. Cause I sure as hell wouldn't."

Declan had had about enough of this girl. "Listen bitch, I'm tired of listening to you rant about shit you clearly don't know about. Ya don't know nothing bout me or my people. So why don't ya just shut the hell up!" He took a step towards her.

"Don't come near me!" Cheyanne got a little weary when she saw him get angry. At the moment, she knew next to nothing about this man and didn't want to test his limits.

Declan noticed the way she backed away from him. He probably scared her more then he meant to. With the whole misunderstanding about the way he grabbed her, he could see why she was so tense. Hell he was tense, too.

Declan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not gona hurt you, little dove."

The woman was silent for a moment before she answered. "Don't call me that. I'm not your 'little dove'."

"Alright, fine," he waved his hand around. "I don't give a shit."

There was silence between the two of them for a couple of minutes, each one sizing up the other one. No one was willing to give in and break the tension between them. After a while though, the silence became awkward.

Cheyanne hesitated before speaking. "I'm Cheyanne."

"What?" Declan had been lost in his own train of thought.

She sighed. "I said I'm Cheyanne. Cheyanne Turner."

He nodded his head. "Declan."

She waited for a moment. "Declan. Just Declan?"

"Yup."

"You're not going to give me a last name to go with that."

"I don't know you, so why should I."

Cheyanne sigh in annoyance. "And what did you mean about 'your people'? Who are your people?"

He looked away from her and put his hands in his jeans. "Nobody."

"Oh, ok I get it. Just treat the black girl like she's some dumb bitch. Maybe she'll just forget after a while. I get it."

Oh this girl was testing him. "Irish Travelers," he looked to her. "Gypsies."

Nodding her head in realization, she finally understood why he was being so closed off and secretive. "I see."

He scoffed. "No you don't, and don't bothering trying to understand. Country folks like you never do. You'll just waste your time."

Cheyanne rolled her eyes. "Hey, I'm not just some country chick, okay. I grew up in Dallas, Texas Einstein."

He sighed. "See that's exactly what I mean." Declan shook his head. "'Country Folk' is a term we use when we talk about non-travelers. You, for instance, would be considered a country girl."

Cheyanne merely nodded. "Fine, I'm a country girl." 

After standing there for nearly five minutes now, Cheyanne could start to feel the pain in her feet increase. "Ahh, these damn heels." Walking over to Declan, she pushed her purse at his chest. "Hold this real quick."

Declan looked at the purse as if it were a pair of dirty boxers. "Excuse me?"

Cheyanne gave him an annoyed look. "Look, my feet are killing from these heels and I can't freaking well take them off with my purse in my hand, now can I. So can you just hold it for a sec?"

Declan looked at the poor girl wobbling on her feet for a moment before begrudgingly consenting to the stupid purse. Cheyanne sighed in relief as she removed one shoe, and then the other. She wiggled her toes for a moment and tried to get some feeling back into them.

"Ah, thank you."

"Whatever." Declan grumbled

.

Just then, the side door opened, revealing a very frantic looking Hannah and a very confuse Aidan walking into the ally.

"Oh my God, Cheyanne, where have you been? I've been looking for you for the past ten minutes."

"Yeah sorry," she went to hug her friend and get away from Declan. "I got a little side tracked."

Hannah gave her a confused look. "What?"

Cheyanne shook her head. "Nothing, I'll tell you later." Turning back, she looked and saw that Declan was now conversing with the other guy Hannah had been dancing with. He was distracted and wouldn't even notice her leave. "Look, can we just go?"

"Yeah, of course we can?" Rapping her arm around her friend, Hannah led Cheyanne down the alley and out of sight.

"It looked like ya were enjoying yourself out there on the dance floor."

"Yeah, I was." Declan said simply.

"Didn't know you had a thing for black girls?" Aidan joked.

"I don't." Declan turned back to look at the girls, only to find that both girls were gone.

"She left." He was surprised, although he didn't know why.

"Huh," Aidan shrugged. "Well look on the bright side. If you didn't get her number, at least you got her purse."

"What?" Declan looked down at the purse in his hand and cursed under his breath. Damn girl left her purse.

"At least it matches your eyes." Aidan laughed while dodging a shot that Declan tried to make at him. "T'ink of it this way, mate; now you know you'll to see her again. She'd got to get her purse back sometime."

Looking down at the small black purse in his hands, Declan realized the wisdom behind his cousin's stupid words. The purse was a guarantee that he would have to see her again. He was still trying to decipher why he wanted to see her again. But maybe once he did, he'd find a reason why. Gazing down the narrow corridor, Declan licked his lips and tasted the lingering kiss they shared.



Traditions Ch. 02



Okay, here is the next installment to Traditions. It's a little short, but it's still good. Hope you guys enjoy. 

******

"Come on, come on, push yourself Declan. You've got to hit harder. Harder!"

Declan stepped back and did a solid round house kick into the large pad in Fergus's hand. Controlling his momentum, he got back into a steady rhythm and started hitting multiple combos into the safety pads. 

"There we go Dec, at a boy." Fergus could feel the power of his student's punches increase with every blow he landed into the pads.

They had been training for the past three hours, and had not let up for even one second. They couldn't afford to, really. Declan had entered himself into the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, and needed to stay in shape in order to make it past the semi-finals. He had easily past the preliminary rounds and was training twice as hard to make sure he didn't screw up in the semi-finals.

"Okay, Dec, I think that's it for today." Fergus pushed him back with the pads. "You done good, boyo. Why don't you go over to the weights and unwind for a minute before headin' out."

Declan nodded his head. "Yes sir." Extending his right arm, he waited for Fergus to take off his pad too properly shaking his hand. 

Declan smiled as he looked down at his mentor and trainer. The grizzled, middle aged man had been one of the best fighters of his time until one fatal kick to the knee sent his well-established career spiraling. Walking around on a limp knee during a match didn't do you much good. At only fifty-two years old, the man still looked to be in his prime. There was no doubt in 

Declan's mind that if anyone decided to take on Fergus McDuffin, they would be in for a world of hurt. 

Over the five years he had known him, Fergus had only ever treated Declan with the utmost respect. He was a great mentor to have and had taught him everything he needed to know about surviving inside the ring. Many of the other fighter's in the gym had questioned Declan's decision about having Fergus as a trainer. A lot of the people there didn't really see him as anything other than a washed up fighter with nothing else better to do. But Declan knew what kind of a man Fergus was, and that was all that mattered to him. He knew better than anyone how the frightening game worked inside and out, and it was that kind of expertise that Declan needed in order to win the Championship.

Declan had made his way over and was now looking at the weights sitting on the rack. Picking up the twenty pound weight, Declan securely strapped the heavy object around his waist. Once he had shuffled over to the pull up bar on the wall, he jumped up and made sure he had a good grip before starting his chin ups.

Declan was concentrating so hard on his second set that he failed to notice the small group that had formed in front of him.

"Looky here boys. You all reckon he's trying to beef up enough to make wait for the semi-finals."

Declan didn't bother to look at the idiots in front of him. He knew exactly who's sinister voice it was. 

"Have ya come to see what a real man looks like, Jagger?"

Jagger smiled, and looked at his other two companions before shrugging. "What would ya know about a real man?"

"Well for one thing," Declan grunted, "my eight year old brother is more of a man then you, and could probably kick your ass."

Jagger laughed. "Last time I saw your sister, she seemed to think I was man enough for her." The two men beside him laughed at his jest.

Declan didn't bother to acknowledge him. He knew Jagger was just trying to bait him. Still, the comment about his sister irked him to no end. He knew his eighteen year old sister Darcy fancied Jagger; even went as far as to flirt with him one day when he took her and her friends to the car park. He had half a mind to forbid Darcy from ever seeing him again, but decided against it. Jagger was only talking to her because he knew it would bug the hell out of him. Heaven only knew what Declan would have done if Jagger was actually interested in Darcy.

"I see you're putting in extra time before the big match coming up?"

God, this guy would not shut up, Declan thought inwardly.

"Yeah," Jagger drawled. "I guess that would be the smart thing to do. Don't want another repeat of last year, now do we?"

Declan paused mid lift and opened his eyes to give him a hard stare. Jagger was walking into forbidden territory with that comment. Most of the people around the gym knew better then to talk about last year's preliminary fights with Declan. It had been his first time entering into the Cage Warriors Championship, and Declan had figured that he would have easily made it past the preliminary rounds. He had been told his first opponent was a middle aged martial arts teacher. Not thinking anything of it, he went into the ring thinking he had already won his first fight. No one had bothered to tell him that the middle aged man was also a high ranking army veteran. Declan had been knocked out cold towards the end of the first round.

Never had he been so embarrassed in his entire life. First major fight in his entire career, and some old guy had knocked him on his ass without even trying. What had made it even worse was that his family had been in the audience. Having to leave the stadium knowing he had gotten his ass beat wasn't nearly as humiliating as having his family watch him fail.

This year, he had vowed to work just as hard in order to redeem himself. So far, he had kept his promise. This time around, he had made to the semi-finals, and he wasn't going to allow anything to distract him or mess up his chance of making it to the finals. Not even the spiky headed son of a bitch, Jagger.

"As I recall it, you weren't even able to qualify for the tournament." He continued his chin ups. "I think it had to do with you almost gauging someone's eye. Those illegal moves get you nowhere man." 

"Oooh," Jagger gave Declan a hard stare of his own. "Getting a little tense there pretty boy."

"Fuck off, Jagger." Declan spoke through gritted teeth.

"Why should I?" Jagger was about to make a move towards Declan when Fergus came up and placed a hand on his chest.

"I think that's enough for one day boys." He spoke between the two. "Or would you all rather settle this in the ring?"

Jumping down from the pull up bar, Declan come up to Fergus and stared Jagger in the eye. Bath boys glared at each other, neither wanting to be the first to look away.

"Well," Fergus spoke. "What's it going to be boys?"

Both boys continued to stare as if they hadn't heard a word. After a moment, Jagger scoffed and shook his head.

"Be a waste of my time." With that, Jagger turned away and walked off to another corner of the gym; lackeys in tow.

Fergus whistled as he watched the small group leave. "Man, I tell ya," he gruffed. "I ain't never seen a kid more rotten in my life."

"He's not rotten," Declan spoke as he removed the weight from his chest. "He's full of shit."

Fergus laughed. "Well put. So I'll see you again tomorrow?"

"Bright an early." Patting his trainer on the back, Declan left to go change in the locker room.

Ten minutes later, Declan was walking out of the front and heading toward his truck. He opened the door and tossed his gym bag onto the floor of the cab. Declan sighed once he had his butt firmly seated behind the wheel. His body was screaming with aches and pains that only a hot shower could cure. Hopefully all his hard work would pay off. 

Shutting the door and putting the key into the ignition, Declan was prepared to turn on the car when something shiny caught his eye. Turning to his passenger seat, he stared at the infernal object that had been sitting in his car for the past three days. 

Declan didn't know why he still had the stupid purse. He would have thought that the girl would have tried to reclaim it once she realized her purse was gone. He had stayed at the disco for an extra hour in hopes that she would come back looking for it. When she didn't show up, he decided to keep it and figured he'd find her himself. Three days later, he was still at a loss as to where to start looking. From what he could tell, the ID in her wallet told him that her name was Cheyanne Turner and that she was an American citizen form Dallas, Texas. A further look at the belongings in her purse told him that she was currently attending the University of Liverpool. When he had found out she was a student he had gotten the idea that he could go down to the university and give it to her. But he quickly tossed that idea when he realized he wouldn't know how to find her on such a large campus. 

So far, the purse had only proved to be a reminder of how much control he'd lost that night. Declan licked his lips once more. He could still remember what her pouty lips felt like on his.

Turning the key, Declan revved up the old engine and put the gear into drive. No sooner had he lifted his foot off the break when he began hearing a faint humming sound coming from the passenger side of the car. A little confused, Declan picked up the purse and opened the small clutch. The faint humming sound got louder as he lifted up a small phone from the inside. An unknown number was calling. Seeing as how it wasn't his phone, Declan debated whether or not to answer it.

Cheyanne worriedly bit her thumb nail as she waited for someone to pick up the phone. She had been frantically searching for her phone for the past twenty minutes when she realized it wasn't laying across her desk. She rarely ever used her phone outside of her room, and only took it out with her when she went to work. Normally, it would be sitting next to her laptop on her desk, but went she went to reach for it to make her weekly phone call back home, it wasn't there. Cheyanne had practically torn her room apart in search for it. After pacing the small dorm for five minutes, she had finally realized where she had last had her phone. She had taken with her to the night club and had left it in her purse...with Declan. Picking up the landline phone in the living room, she prayed that Declan was kind enough to have left it with one of the bartenders.

Cheyanne patiently waited for someone on the other end to answer. Finally after three rings, and gruff voice answered her phone.

"E'llo?"

"Hello?" She asked hesitantly. "Who is this?

"Well, who is this?"

"Um, my name is Cheyanne and you're actually talking on my phone. Who are you?

Declan couldn't believe his luck. "Who do ya t'ink it is, little dove?"

Cheyanne let out a sigh of relief before grunting. "I thought I told you not to call me that?"

"Yeah, well I don't take to kindly to having strange people give me orders."

"Whatever. Why do you have my phone?"

"It was in your purse."

"I know, but why do you still have my purse. Why didn't you turn it in to one of the bartender's or something?"

"Cause you told me to hold it." He said simply, as if it were the most obvious answer.

Cheyanne rubbed her temple. She was starting to get a headache.

"Look, I would just really appreciate it if we could just meet up so I can get my purse back."

"That sounds good to me." Cheyanne heard him exhale. "I'm tired of carrying this stupid thing."

"Great. So where would you like to meet up?"

"Doesn't matter to me."

Gosh, was this guy difficult. "Ok, well there's this little café about ten minutes from me." She rattled of the name. "Do you know where it is?

"Yeah, I know the place."

"Good." Cheyanne looked at the digital clock on her desk that read 3:16. "I've got a class I need to get to in about four minutes. Do you mind if we meet up at around four thirty?"

"I don't care."

Now he was just annoying her. "Fine, then I'll see you there."

"Fine." Cheyanne then heard the line go dead. Pulling the phone away from her ear, she looked at the phone in disbelief. "Rude."

An hour later, Cheyanne stood at a street corner waiting for the light to change. Her English class had been a little boring today, with her teacher droning on and on about proper character definition and what not. After such a long day, Cheyanne just wanted to get her phone and head home.

The light changed color, and Cheyanne quickly crossed the street. The small café was only about three doors down from the intersection and was quickly greeted with the fresh aroma of coffee and fresh bread. She quickly noticed the tall figure standing on the sidewalk in front of the small restaurant.

"Declan?" The figured turned.

Cheyanne almost missed a step when she caught sight of his face. Even though it had only been a few days ago, her memories of him did not do him justice. She had failed to notice the first time how easily his black hair fell and framed his masculine face, or how tightly his dark green shirt stretched across his broad chest. After a moment, she shook herself. She was completely overreacting. Repeatedly she tried to tell herself that there were finer men in the world as she approached him.

He didn't say anything when she stood before him. Just stared at her. She figured that maybe he didn't recognized her since it had been pretty dark inside the club and they had only briefly seen each other for that one moment outside.

"Umm...I'm Cheyanne."

He remained silent. Declan had, in fact, recognized her when she called his name. It was just taking him a minute to adjust to the woman who stood before him. 

This was not the same girl who he had danced with at the club. That woman had be a fiery seductress, who had tempted him to the brink of self-destruction. But this woman...this woman was completely different. Instead of being dressed in some sexy get up, she was wearing some skinny jeans with wedges and a simply V-neck top. Everything was simple and modest. He had been expecting top model and got Plain Jane instead. He didn't know how he felt about that. 

Surprised? Shocked? 

Intrigue?

"Yeah, I figured dat's who ya were when ya called my name."

Declan watched her roll her eyes. "Okay, well thanks for meeting me hear."

He shook his head. "It was no problem really." Reaching into the waist band of his jeans, he pulled out her small black clutch. "Happy to be rid of this damn thing."

She took the purse and put in inside the larger bag she had brought with her. "And my phone?"

Reaching into his front pocket, he pulled out the phone and placed it in her waiting hand.

Cheyanne sighed in relief. "Thank you so much." Quickly she turned on the phone and began scanning through her missed calls and text messages. After about a moment, she looked up and noticed that Declan was still standing there.

"Um, thank you for giving me my phone back." Maybe he hadn't heard her the first time.

"Yeah you said that already."

"Well I really meant." He still continued to stand there. "Did you...need something?"

He crossed his arms. "Well, since I was kind enough to bring you back your beloved phone, I figured I should be able to get something out of this whole exchange."

"Like what, a reward?" She asked in disbelief.

"Exactly." He said simply.

Cheyanne gave a derisive laugh. No way did he think she would give him anything.

"What do you want me to do, buy you lunch?" She asked jokingly.

Declan stood there a moment, never taking his eyes off of her. Cheyanne could tell he was contemplating something. 

"Actually, lunch doesn't sound too bad."

She looked at him confused. "Are you serious?"

"Sure, why not? I haven't eaten since this morning, and I'm sure it's been a while since you've last ate. Why not kill two birds with one stone and treat me to lunch." With that he turned and walked into the café, leaving her standing there on the sidewalk. Cheyanne's mouth hung open as she continued to stare at the door. Did he seriously assume that she would just walk in after him and buy him lunch? That fool had another thing coming. Hoisting her bag higher up onto her shoulder, Cheyanne walked into the café prepared to give him a piece of her mind. 

Standing in the doorway of the small café styled restaurant, Cheyanne scanned the floor looking for her Irish brute. Noticing that he had seated himself at a small table near the window, Cheyanne marched her way over and stood before him. 

Declan was casually sitting there, scanning over the menu, pretending to ignore her. He knew she would find it every annoying. He could tell that she was one of those people that couldn't stand to be ignored. He was much the same. 

He saw that she was about to say something so he cut her off. "I was wondering if you were just going to stand out there. It would have been difficult to order something from the side walk."

Cheyanne gritted her teeth. She opened her mouth to say something but he cut her off again.

"Some of the burgers look good. What do you suggest? I only ask cause I figured you'd been here a couple of times. Why else would you have suggested meeting here?" When she didn't answer he continued. "I'm guessing since you wanted to meet here, you must have been planning on eating here after our little exchange. If that's the case, then there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to buy me lunch. It would be the polite thing to do since I went through all the trouble of driving across town in order to give you your phone back."

Cheyanne stood there and shot him a mean stare. Damn was he good. He had he guessed her plans without even trying. She really was hungry, and didn't want to leave after coming all this way. With a huff, she pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.

He lifted his mouth in a half smile. "That wasn't too hard now was it?"

Cheyanne merely shrugged. After a few moments of sitting there, a very heavy woman sauntered up to their table and pulled out a small pad and pen. 

"Hello. What will you two lovelies be having today?"

Declan noticed that large woman was probably in her mid-forties and had probably been very beautiful when she was younger. The name tag on her shirt read 'Ginger". He couldn't help but laugh.

Ginger looked down at him. "Something funny, sugar?"

He shook his head. "No. I would just like a coke, please."

Ginger turned to look at Cheyanne. "And what about you, missy?"

"Ice water with lemon, please."

She nodded and wrote down there orders. "Were you two ready to order or did you need more time?"

"I'm ready," Declan turned to Cheyanne across the table and she nodded her head. "I guess we both are. I'll have the cheese burger, with no onions, and fries."

"Sure thing." Ginger wrote it down in her book before turning to his companion. "And you?"

"I'll have my usual, Ginger."

"Alright, I'll be right up with your orders." Tuning to Cheyanne, she placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll tell everyone else you're here."

Cheyanne smiled. "Thanks girl." 

As soon as their waiter walked away, Declan gave her a very confused look.

Cheyanne laughed. "I work here. That's why I suggested the place. They have really great food."

Declan accepted her explanation and nodded. "I hope so. I'm starving." 

After about a minute, Ginger returned with their drinks and set them down gently. "I just put your order in and it should be out within the next ten minutes." She casually placed her hand on Declan's shoulder. "And if you need anything, don't hesitate to call me, sweet cheeks." Giving him a wink, she sauntered off, leaving a very surprised Declan behind her.

"Was she just flirting with me?" 

Cheyanne couldn't help but laugh. "Don't take it too personally. She does that with most of the guys that walk through here. It's just bit of fun." 

"It's ridiculous is what it is. No woman I know would openly flirt with a man at her age."

"Relax, she's just joking around. She's married and has two kids of her own."




Traditions Ch. 02



"That just makes it worse." He shook his head in disbelief. "If I knew my wife was flirting with other men, I'd get pissed and would go looking to beat those guys before I came home and kicked her out."

"Oh come on. It's not that big of a deal." When he didn't reply, she sat there and looked at him. "You're serious? You'd actually kick your wife out if she was flirting with someone else?"

Declan simple nodded his head. "Gypsy men want women who will be faithful to them, someone they can trust. They want a woman who will do what they are told and will clean and cook for them without having to be asked." He said simply.

She made a face. "That's a little medieval, don't you think?"

"No, it's just how things are."

Cheyanne took a big sip of her water and let the cold drink flow down her throat. She was a little overwhelmed by what Declan had just told her. For a while, she had forgotten the he was an Irish Traveler and knew next to nothing about their culture and customs. Hearing this small bit of information from Declan kind of surprised her. 

Declan looked at Cheyanne for a moment. Her forehead was scrunched up a bit, almost as if she was deep in thought. She was probably still confused about his earlier comment.

"Was dat too difficult for yar American brain to rap around?" Declan asked sarcastically. 

"No, not difficult," she paused, "just different." She took another quick sip of her water.

"Not too weird for ya?"

"No not really." She said simply.

Declan was surprised at this. When most people learned about how strict they were, many of them would jump in with speeches about how radical their views were. He was a little curious as to why she was acting so calmly when Ginger showed up with their food.

"Alright, here's one cheese burger with no onions and fires," she place Declan's hot plate in front of him. "And here's one chicken salad with extra croutons and Italian dressing on the side." Ginger carefully placed the salad in front of Cheyanne. "Will that be all for you?" Cheyanne and Declan both nodded and Ginger left them to their food.

Cheyanne took the small bowl of Italian dressing and began to lightly drizzle it over her chicken salad. Grabbing her fork, she picked up some of her salad and popped it in her mouth. Closing her eyes, Cheyanne savored all the flavors in her mouth. The slight moan that escaped her mouth when she took her first bite almost made him miss the plate as he squeezed the ketch up from the bottle.

Swallowing her first bite, she took her fork and lightly stabbed one of the pieces of chicken on her plate. She almost didn't her the soft chuckle that was coming from the person across from her. Cheyanne looked up to see Declan smiling.

"What?" she asked genuinely confused.

"Nothing," Declan took the top bun off his burger and poured ketch on it. "Ya just seem to be enjoying yar food."

"I am," she said matter-a-factly. "If there's one thing you need to know about me, is that I don't eat to look cute. I eat to stay full."

Declan laughed at this. Most of the girls he knew would have been embarrassed to admit something like that. They were usually too busy trying to impress the nearest guy and make them believe that they were proper young girls. So far, Cheyanne wasn't like that. She wasn't trying to impress anybody. For some reason, Declan found that very attractive. Or maybe it was that he found her very attractive.

"You country girls are one strange breed."

Cheyanne paused with her fork near her mouth. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged and popped a fry in his mouth. "You're just...a lot different from most girls I know."

Cheyanne placed her fork down. "You know, you say that a lot, that I don't act like most people. What makes me so different?"

"Well, for one t'ing," Declan quickly sipped his coke before continuing. "Most girls don't eat like you do. Yar more relaxed when you eat. Many of the gypsy girls try to act proper when there out eating with others. They don't want others to think that there pigs or something. Another thing is you dress differently."

Cheyanne straitened. "What's wrong with the way I dress?"

"Nothing really. It's just that Traveler girls like to be a bit flashier in order to attract the guys. You saw how most of them were dressed at the disco the other night."

Thinking back to that night, Cheyanne consented and nodded her head. "Those girls were definitely something to look at." "And most of them do this just to find a husband."

"Husband?" Now that was a surprise. "Most of those girls weren't any older than me."

"Most of us tend to marry young. It's just easier to travel and start a family that way."

"Are you married?" Cheyanne didn't know why she was suddenly curious.

Declan laughed. "I wouldn't have kissed you if I was." 

True, she thought to herself. "We'll why you aren't? From what you've told me, a handsome guy like you would have been tied down by now." Cheyanne inwardly berated herself. She hadn't meant to let on that she found him attractive. 

Declan noticed the small slip and smiled. He could see the beginnings of a small blush form around the edges of her cheeks. The little hint of pink complemented her tan skin nicely. He found her reaction quite cute.

"Um...so what about school?" She asked, quickly trying to change the subject.

"We don't go." He took a bite out of his burger. "Most of us leave early to go find jobs."

Cheyanne was a little shocked. "Really? You don't even try to finish?" She took another bite of her salad.

"Why bother," he shrugged. "The whole point of going to school is to try and get a better job. Why wait several years to get a job, when you can train early for one?"

Cheyanne could understand that logic. "I guess I can see where you're coming from. You all are just starting your lives earlier. That's a whole lot better than just sitting around like some of the coach potatoes I know."

"My point exactly." Declan smiled and took a big bite out of his burger, effectively spraying cheese and ketchup from the sides. When he put his sandwich down, Cheyanne noticed a small ketchup stain sitting on the side of his mouth.

"Oh you got a little something there." She pointed to his mouth. He tried to wipe it with his hand, but missed completely. "No you just missed it." When failed to get it again, Cheyanne grabbed her napkin and leaned forward. "Here, let me." Taking her napkin, she lightly dabbed at the corner of his mouth.

When he saw her reach out toward him, Declan's first reaction was to flinch back. But a after a brief moment, he leaned into her touch. Declan wasn't quite sure how to react in this situation. Here he was, sitting in a café, having this very beautiful woman practically touch his mouth. Never had he had someone be so tender to him before, and in such a public setting. It wasn't something Irish Travelers did outside their own home. But Cheyanne didn't seem to mind, so he tried not to be too concerned about it.

"Got it." Sitting back to down, she placed the napkin next to her plate and picked up her fork. She was about to eat another mouth full of salad when she noticed that Declan was staring at her. The questioning look that he was giving her started to make her feel uncomfortable. "What?"

He didn't say anything for the first few seconds. "Nothing."

Not really believing him, Cheyanne just shrugged and let the question drop. For the rest of their meal the two of them continued to talk about everything and nothing. They both seemed to be enjoying themselves, much to their surprise, although neither of them would ever let other one know. Soon, both of them were finished with their meals and were ready for the check.

Ginger appeared beside them. "We're both of your meals enjoyable?"

Declan stole a quick glance at Cheyanne. "I'd like to t'ink so."

"Alright, and how will you be paying?"

Cheyanne turned to retrieve her debit card from her purse when Declan grab her hand on the table. 

"You don't have to do that."

Cheyanne looked at him questioningly. "I thought I had to pay for lunch? You said this was your reward for being so generous?"

Declan smiled. "A man never lets a lady pay." Reaching into his pocket, he quickly pulls out a card and hands it to their waiter.

Cheyanne seemed to shiver just a bit at his words. They were laced with a thick Irish accent, and the sound of his voice simply mesmerized her.

"Alright, well I'll be back in a minute."

Once Ginger had disappeared, Cheyanne quickly remembered that Declan's hand was still touching hers and quickly removed it. Her hand felt colder after pulling it away.

Declan felt the loss of her hand quickly, and didn't take to kindly to her pulling from him. Catching his reaction, he almost wanted to smack himself. What the hell was wrong with him? This wasn't just some girl from his neighborhood. This was a country girl for crying out loud. Why was he acting so different around her? It wasn't like anything good would come out of it. They shouldn't have even been sitting there together.

As soon they were given the card back, the two of them swiftly got out of their chairs and headed out side. One they were outside, Cheyanne and Declan faced each other. There was silence for a few moments, as neither of them could really think of what to say to the other.

"Thanks for giving me my phone back." She spoke finally.

Declan shrugged. "No big deal, really. I had no'ting else better to do."

Cheyanne only nodded. "Well then I guess I'll be leaving then."

"Okay."

"Goodbye..." No sooner had the words left her mouth had Declan turned and began walking away. As she watched his broad back travel further and further away, Cheyanne sighed and turned to head back home. 

She felt stupid. How else did she expect for their meeting to end. It's not as if they owed each other anything anymore. Her sole purpose for even being there in the first place was to get back her belongings. Now that she had gotten them back, there was nothing else further between them. Still, she couldn't help shake the feeling that this shouldn't have been there last goodbye.

Groaning, Cheyanne turned around and made possibly one of the craziest decisions of her life.

"Hey!" At first he didn't turn around so she cupped her hands and screamed louder. "HEY!"

Declan had heard a faint call but had merely dismissed it as traffic noise. When he heard it a second time, the sound caused him to pause mid step and turn around. Behind him, Declan could see Cheyanne walking to catch up to him. What was she doing?

"Hey um," She stuttered as she approached him. "You, uh...you walk pretty far with those legs of yours."

 He shrugged. "I guess that's one of the perks I get for being tall." He said simply.

 "Right, right, that would make sense." Come on, just spit it out. "Look, believe it or not, having lunch with you was actually pretty fun for me, and for the past three months I've been here, I don't think I've ever enjoyed having lunch as much as I did today. And it made me think. Maybe we could do this again some time."

 Declan stared at her for a moment. "I don't date Country Girls."

 "It wouldn't have to be a date. Why put a label on it?" She said simply. "It could just be two people trying to enjoy their mutual company. That doesn't sound too bad."

"No it doesn't." He replied. Actually, it was very bad. Being seen in public with a Country Girl could severely damage him. If he was even suspected of having feelings for her, his entire family could be scandalized. He couldn't afford to put them in jeopardy.

"So," she said. "What do you say?"

His mouth slowly began to form the word no. Every instinct told him not to get involved with this girl. He kept telling himself that there was nothing special about her, so he should just move on. But that idea seemed wrong. There was something about her. He just couldn't deny that. He knew that there was something special about her the first night he saw her on the dance floor. He wanted to find out what it was about this girl that had him so entranced. 

"Okay." 



Traditions Ch. 03



Hey guys. I am SO SORRY about leaving you guys high and dry. I was trying hard to find an editor for my story, but you know how it is sometimes, life just keeps you busy. So I've decided to just submit this one in as it is. You'll find some typos and errors, but like I said, it's hard to find an editor with time to spare. 

I do want to thank you guys for your great comments and support. I have really been taking them to heart. Hopefully this chapter will hold you over until the next installment. 

I would like to warn some of you that there is one part in the story that might seem strange to you. Declan, at one point, talks about one of his former love interests that is extremely young for him. In the Traveler culture, girls tend to marry young with older husbands (although probably not as old as Declan). However, I will say that nothing sexual has happened between them and nothing is hinted about it either in later chapters. I repeat, NOTHING sexual happened. 

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it. Keep the comments coming, there like crack to me. Chapter four is coming soon!




Declan was sitting on the couch with his father, watching the game on TV. The twins were occupying themselves, Joanne with her dolls and Patrick with his monster trucks. It had been a couple days since he had really spent any quality time with his family. Seeing how hard he had been working, Fergus had given him the next two days off to just relax. Sitting at home on the couch, Declan was doing just that.

"Oy, Margret," his father yelled toward the kitchen, "could ya grab a couple of cold ones for me and Declan over har."

Declan heard a door open and close before he saw his mother walk around the couch with two beers in her hand.

"I swear, I married one lazy man and raised another." She jokingly smiled at them.

"Eh, but you love us all da same." He reached for the beer in his mother's hand.

"Well, of course I do." She walked over and handed her husband the beer before sitting on the arm of the couch. "I got ta be loved and taken care of by two of da best men in the world." Margret rapped one of her arms around Ducky's broad shoulders. 

Declan had those same shoulders, broad and powerful. He and his father were pretty much built the same way, tall and heavily built. Upon first seeing them, most people thought he and his dad were exact replicas of each other. But once you got past Ducky's swollen boxer face, you wouldn't see much of a resemblance. Declan looked more like his mother in that regard. Both of them shared the same high cheek bones and green eyes. His mother was a real beauty, even though age had begun to creep up on her. Declan could start to see a bit of grey growing on the sides of her black hair.

"How's the game?" She asked.

"Uhh," Ducky grumbled. "It's the kids these days. None of them know how to play. Patrick could do better than they can."

Hearing his name, Patrick lifted his head and gave them his toothless grin. "I'd beat them all, too."

Ducky clapped his hands and laughed at his eight year old son. "I bet you would, my boy. I bet you would."

"Don't encourage him like dat." Margret playfully hit her husband's shoulder. "I already have one boy ta worry about." She said, inclining her head towards Declan.

"Oh you ain't got no'ting to worry about. We were just talking about sports. That aint no'ting compared to being in the ring. Declan's tough as nails when it comes to fighting. That's pure talent he's got. That thar is what's gona take him to the Championships, and I'm gona be sitting here watching him on TV and cheering him on when it happens."

"I've got ta make it past the semi-finals first, dad."

"You will. I know you will." Ducky lightly patted his wife on the ass. "Why don't you go whip us up a couple of sandwiches for us?"

"Of course dear." Leaning down, she kissed her husband sweetly on the mouth before standing and heading toward the kitchen. Declan smiled as he watched her walk away. He had always admired the simple love his parents had had.

Unconsciously, his hand began fingering the phone next to his knee. It had been about a week and a half since he had last seen Cheyanne at the café. They had exchanged numbers before they parted ways, each promising they'd contact the other when enough time became available. Three days past, then another, then seven, and here it is, a Tuesday, eleven days later without even a word from the other. 

Declan wasn't really bothered by the lack of communication between the two of them. They had each agreed to contact the other when enough time had cleared up on their schedule to hang out. Their agreement did not require that they text or call one another in between that time. No one needed to check up and see how the other was doing. No sir that was not the type of relationship they had. Then again, if that wasn't the type of relationship they had, what did they have?

Declan quickly scolded himself for even thinking such a thing. They didn't have anything. She herself had even said that they shouldn't try to put a label on anything. So why was he sitting here getting all worked up about it. It's not like she was anything special. As far as he was concerned she was just some girl; some girl he had sat down and had lunch with, some girl who he had told more than one Traveler secret too. Damn it. None of these stupid thoughts had even bothered to occupy his mind until he saw his parents together. Why would seeing the two of them bring up thoughts about Cheyanne?

Turning his phone over, he clicked on an icon and opened up a new text message. His thumb hesitantly hovered over the first letter when Darcy decided to march into the front room.

"Hey daddy. Hey Dec." she plopped herself next to her brother. "How's the game?"

Declan looked at his eighteen year old sister and sighed. Just like him, Darcy favored there mother, relatively short and curvy. She did, however, have a longer face then the rest of the McCarthy children, a face that she got from her dad. Over the years she had gone from a skinny freckle faced girl to a full figured young woman, and the result scared him. Many boys had begun noticing her more, and Declan had had to chase off quite of few of them. Right now she was wearing a tight white tank top with lime green shorts. 

"Fine."

"Who ya texting?" She casually leaned over and tried to get a better look.

Declan quickly locked his phone and shoved it in the front pocket of his jeans. "None of yar business." 

Darcy huffed and flipped her black hair over her shoulder. "I was only asking."

"Like I said, it's none of yar business." He turned back to the TV. "Mom's in the kitchen, shouldn't you be helping her with something."

"Yes, but I have a question to ask you first." Angling her body towards him, she leaned in a little and placed her chin on his shoulder. "George Anne is gona have this big party for her sixteenth birthday and I was wondering if you'd be willing to come wit me."

"Isn't her birthday in February? Why are you asking me now?" he asked, still concentrating on the game.

"It is. She just wants to plan ahead so all the preparations can be done on time. She's planning to make it a Valentine's Day, winter wonderland theme. I'm helping her plan it, and it would really suck if I ended up not going to the party after putting some much work into it."

"What did Da say?" The only reason he asked was because most Traveler girls weren't allowed to go anywhere without having permission first. He didn't want to her to go to a party, only to find out later that she was forbidden to go. That would mean he'd be getting the brunt of the yelling.

"He said I'd be able to go as long as I had a chaperone, which is why I need you to take me. If you say no, I'll be missing out on the greatest party of the year."

"There will always be another party Darcy." He said simply.

"Oh, please Dec, just take me. I promise I won't bother yous once we get there. I'll even leave an extra hour early if ya get to bored, and afterwards you can take me back home and go anywhere you want."

"I can go anywhere I want regardless. You forget, I don'a live here anymore."

"You still live on the plot, stupid. Just because you've got yar own camper doesn't mean you can ignore the fact your only ten feet away."

"Did it ever occur to you that I moved those ten feet to get away from you." He said simply, turning to give her a disinterested look.

"Please Declan, just take me to this party. It will be the one everyone talks about, and I'll just die if I can't go." Looking at her brother's unwavering face, Darcy sighed. "You know George Anne really wants you to go."

Darcy almost laughed as she watched a deep frown mar her brother's face. "Why are you looking like that?"

"If ya seriously thought tha she would have been enough to tempt me to go to tha stupid party, yar crazy."

"What? I thought ya liked her. She even told me that yous two were talking." Darcy moved her eyebrows a little as if she was hinting towards some big secret of his.

Declan just rolled his eyes. Yeah, he had tried talking to her at one point. Somewhere down the road last year, he had got it in his head that he should try settling down with a nice girl, and had set his eyes on George Anne. He learned quickly how big of a mistake that was. 

This girl had turned him off in more ways than one. She had wound up being one of those attention seekers, and would always whine and bitch to him whenever he didn't cater to her beck and call. She was still a child, and wasn't ready to be in a steady relationship. She still needed time to learn her place a as a woman and how Traveler couples worked. From that experience, Declan realized he wasn't ready for a relationship either.

"I tolerated her. There is a difference."

"Fine." Darcy huffed and crossed her arms. This was going to be harder then she thought.

Suddenly an evil smirk crossed her face. "Ya knows what, its fine. I'll find some other party to go to. Ya know...I think one of yar friends might be having a party before then anyway."

Declan's interest peaked. "What friend?"

She ignored him. "Yeah, I think it might be a New Year's party. That should be fun."

"What friend, Darcy?"

She turned to her brother and smiled. "Um...I think his name was...Jagger."

Darcy tried hard not to laugh at the angry expression on her brother's face. Immediately his cheeks became red, and his jaw became tense. He began to look much like their father would whenever his anger flared. Both of them had the same quick temper, and were easily annoyed by anything.

"Are ya out of yar fuc-," he caught himself and quieted his voice. "Are you crazy? Dad is sitting right over there. If he hears ya talking about a boy like that, he'd beat yar arse til it bleeds red. Don't think he won't. And if you think I'd let you get near that son of a bitch, ya must be out of yar damn mind. The second I tell dad about what a cunt this guy is, he won't even hesitant to forbid you from seeing him. So don't even bother trying to work up the courage to ask him to go to that stupid party."

"God, Declan, would you relax." She looked down at her siblings and then at her father to make sure no one had heard her brother's whispered rant. "George Anne and her mother are going out of town that week to try and see if they could find a dressmaker for the party. Now, they did ask me to go wit them, but if I'm not going to be attending the party I guess..."

Declan could see where his sister was hinting at. Damn her. He didn't want to go to some frilly party. He had past that stage in his life where these types of celebrations were entertaining. But he'd be damned if he let his baby sister anywhere near that asshole.

"I'll take you." Darcy squealed and raped her arms around him. "But don't expect me to stay there the entire time. If I go, you go."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, you're the best brother ever."

"Whatever," he detangled himself from her grip and push her off. "Now go help mom in the kitchen.

She kissed her brother on the cheek before popping up and heading toward the kitchen. 

"And you need to learn how to act when a man says no ta ya."

"Maybe when I'm married." She said over her shoulder before she disappeared.

Married. Ha. He couldn't even imagine his sister as a married woman. She had a bit more fire in her then most guys would like, and that had proven to her disadvantage. Most girls her age would have been married by now, or at least engaged. He wasn't worried though. She still had all the time in the world to find a husband, and he wasn't too keen on the idea of having her married off just yet. To him, she was still his baby sister.

Thinking about his sister dating brought to mind his own current situation. Sticking his phone in his pocket, he brought out his phone and stared at the screen. 

*****

Cheyanne sighed and stared down at her Chemistry homework. She had been staring down at the same equation for the past ten minutes and still couldn't quite figure out what it meant. It was safe to say at this point that chemistry was not her best subject. 

Throwing down her pencil in frustration, she pushed her books away in fell backwards onto her pillow. She knew that she would get it eventually. She was a smart girl and she wouldn't stop until she got it right. She was just upset that it wasn't coming to her as easily as it was to some of the other students. 

Cheyanne had always been a great student. She had graduated from her high school with honors and had gotten into the University of Liverpool with an academic scholarship. Most of her frustration, however, wasn't brought on by her schoolwork. It all stemmed from the fact that she didn't know what she was going to use her broad education for. The few friends she had back home all had their lives planned out by their junior year of high school. Here it was, her first year of college, and she still had no idea what she wanted to do with her life.

Cheyanne knew that a lot of people went into their first year with no set major in mind, and that she was no different. But she would have thought that she would have at least found a subject she was interested in. Even Hannah knew what she wanted to major in. Fashion. Go figure. 

All she knew was that she wanted to get the most out of life. Even though she lived in a big, thriving city like Dallas, she had never traveled anywhere else. When the university offered her a scholarship, she jumped at the chance to study abroad. She wanted to see more of the world. Maybe she'd find a job that allowed her to travel internationally. 

A humming noise coming from her desk jolted Cheyanne out of her thoughts. Sitting up on her elbow, she reached over and grabbed her phone. She pulled back a bit when she realized who the text was from. Declan.

Hi.

The simple message surprised her a little. He hadn't bothered to contact her in the days that followed there strange lunch date together. She had pretty much given up on the idea that he would even bother trying to see her again. She wasn't exactly saddened by his silence, but she had been a little disappointed when more than a week had past and she still hadn't heard from him.

She sent back a small greeting.

Hey.

A few seconds later she received a response.

How u been?

Fine...u? She texted back.

Pretty well.

Okay where was this conversation going, she thought to herself. 

That's good. She sent back to him.

What r u doin?

Nothin.

A minute past before the next text came.

You want to see a movie 2 nite?

Whoa. Cheyenne was not expecting that. This just came out of left field.

How do u know I don't hav plans? She asked him.

A couple more minutes past before the next text came.

Cuz the last time we talked, u said havin lunch wit me was the most fun u had since uve been here. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if lunch was the most exciting thing uve done then u must not get out much.

Cheyanne was almost shocked. It was like he was reading her mind or something. How does he know these things about her? Was she just easy to read?

Her cell phone vibrated in her hand.

I'm I wrong? It read.

Reluctantly, she texted back. No.

Then come out wit me.

She didn't respond immediately. She was a little skeptical about agreeing to it. True, she was the one who had suggested they go out again, but that was before he ignored her for a week. Then again, she didn't try to contact him either. 

Grunting she smacks herself on the forehead. This was ridiculous. She was acting like a fourteen year old. She had put herself out there when she asked for another opportunity to see him. Now that opportunity had arisen, and she was second guessing herself. She wasn't one to punk out, and she wasn't going to start now.

Okay.

A few seconds later she got a text. I'll pick u up at that café we were at round 7.

I'll be there. She sent.

Getting up from her bed, she started to remove her work and place them back on her desk. She started to head toward her closet to pick out her outfit when her phone vibrated again. Picking her phone back up, she read the text.

I'm lookin forward to it.

*****

Cheyanne waited patiently outside the small café. It was seven o-six, and the sun had just started to dim, creating a soft orange glow across sky. She had spent a little more time fretting over her outfit then she normally would have, but eventually came to a sound conclusion. Since they were just going to see a movie, she figured casual was in order. She picked out one of her favorite sun dresses, with a blue and white floral print that came down to her knees. The colors went great with caramel her skin tone, and she completed the outfit with some honey colored boots and a light jean jacket.

She fiddled with her hair, which she had put in a ponytail, and prayed that it would behave while she went out. She was so nervous, even though she knew there was no reason for her to be. It wasn't officially a date, but just the prospect of seeing him again gave her goose bumps. 

It was now seven fifteen, and the light was starting to darken more. It was probably better for her to wait inside since it looked like he would be running a little late. Just as she was turning to enter the building, an old grey pick up saddled up next to the sidewalk in front of her. The engine shut off and a tall figure stepped out of the driver's side.

"Sorry I'ma bit late." Declan said as he approached her. "I was havin a bit of trouble ge'ting my car ta start."

"Oh, no that's okay. I wasn't waiting long."

"Good." He gave her a crooked smile and stared at her for a moment. "Ya look nice."

"Thank you. You look nice, too." Boy did he look nice. He had dressed himself in ripped jeans and a simple button down shirt over a black wife beater. The black jacket he wore was made out of some tuff material and looked kind of heavy, but on him, it just made him look gruff and sexy.

Cheyanne had to catch herself from staring to long. "Well, shall we?"

Declan stepped back an extended his arm to the truck. "Yar carriage awaits."

She smiled and walked with him around the truck. Opening the car door, he made sure she got into the car and was secure before heading around to the driver's side.

"Now I've got ta warn ya," he began while buckling himself, "the truck here's a little old. It might cry and cuss at us along tha way, but I promise it will get us where were going."

She was a little skeptical. "How old is it?"

"Uh, well the owner I bought it from had it about fourteen years before me, and he had bought it used so...pretty old. But I promise dis t'ing is like a tank. Hasn't failed me yet."

Well that was comforting.

The two of them road across town for few minutes, barely speaking a word to each other. Neither of them could think of anything interesting to say, and there wasn't anything interesting that either of them wanted to talk about. For fifteen minutes, they sat in awkward silence.




Traditions Ch. 03



Great. Just great. If this as any indication of how their night would be, then they had a long night ahead of them.

Staring out the window, trying hard not to notice the awkward tension between them, Cheyanne began to notice the city start to disappear behind them.

"I thought we were going to the movies?"

Suddenly hearing her voice after sitting in silence for so long surprised Declan a little bit. "Huh?"

She laughed a little. Clearly she had caught him off guard. "I was wondering where we were going. I thought we were headed to the movies?"

"We are." He said. "Thar's a drive in a couple miles outside of town. Not a lot of people know about, so it's not too crowded. Most of me friends like to hang out thar."

"Oh," she nodded her head and turned back to the window. "I've actually never been to a drive in before."

One of his eyebrows raised in a questioning look. "Really? I thought they had drive ins back where yar from?"

"Well, they do, there just not as popular as the regular movie theatres I guess. People would rather buy expensive tickets to see 3D and imax movie's then sit in a car and watch a projection."

"Yeah, it's a little different out here. The drive in we're going ta normally plays old or independent films. It's pretty nice when yar not in the mood to pay a lot for a couple of seats in a cold theatre."

Cheyane nodded. "Do you know which movie we're seeing?"

"No. We won't know until we get thar."

About five minutes later, they pulled up to this big open field with five large screens spread out across the area. Several cars were parked in front of each screen with a different movie playing one each one. At the edge of the field were two small buildings. Several people were standing in front of one of the buildings sipping drinks and eating popcorn. Cheyanne figured that it had to be the food stand. Declan drove the car to the other building, which was placed slightly in front of the food stand.

Slowly, Declan stirred the truck gently and saddled up next to the open window of the ticket booth. Reaching over, he twirled the little handle on the side of the door and rolled the window down.

Leaning out the window, Declan reached out and knock on the window of the ticket booth. Quickly, a lanky freckled face man popped up and swiftly opened the window. He seemed a little surprised to see them.

"Hello, how can I help you two?"

Dumb ass question, Declan thought. "What movies are ya playing tonight?"

Turning back around, the skinny man dug into one of his draws and pulled out a small sheet of paper. Leaning back out, he handed Declan the sheet.

Declan scanned over the short list of movies and wasn't really impressed with the selection. Two of them, he could to tell, must of have been pretty old. In the small description off to the side, they listed a few of the actor's names. Most of them were dead. The last three were independent films and were all action based. Turning to Cheyanne, he handed her the card.

"What would ya rather see?" He asked.

Cheyanne studied it a moment. None of them were really appealing. Declan watched as her brow furrowed while she scanned the list. He thought that the look on her face was made her look like a confused child trying to read a long word. He didn't know how, but it only made her seem more appealing. The way she poked out her lips just made her look cuter.

"Hmm," she read the list one more time before handing the sheet back to Declan. "The last one looks good."

Declan read the sheet and widened his eyes once he looked at the title. "My Lover's Dangerous Escapade's? Are you sure?" He hadn't expected her to pick such a risky movie.

She nodded her head and shrugged. "Out of all the other ones, it seemed the best pick. Who knows, it could end up being really good." She gave him a hesitant smile.

"Yeah but...," he glanced over the description an inwardly cringed. "Are ya sure this is what ya want to see?" 

"We did come all this way." She turned her gaze out towards the movie screens. "It would be ashamed to just turn back around."

Thinking it over for a moment, Declan eventually had to agree with her. He turned back to the guy in the booth and told him which movie they wished to see. Handing him the money, the man quickly rolled off two tickets and a parking pass and indicated which screen would be showing their movie.

Once they pulled off a bit, Cheyanne turned and whispered to him. "Did he seem kind of jittery to you?"

He shrugged. "Probably was jacking off back thar and thought he'd got caught." 

He could have bit his tongue for saying such a horrible thing in front of her. He usually knew better than to say such a crude thing in front of most girls. It's not the kind of things gypsy girls needed to here. So it surprised Declan when all he heard was muffled laughter next to him. Looking over, Cheyanne was unsuccessfully trying to hide her laugh by covering her mouth with her hand.

"I'm sorry," she choked out. "I shouldn't be laughing. That was such a bad thing to do."

He merely looked at her and shook it off, as if it wasn't that big of a deal.

Declan switch gears and gently drove the truck toward the second screen. Once he'd found their parking spot, he turned off the car and threw his keys on the dash.

The previous movie had just ended, and it would be another fifteen minutes before the next one started. Unlocking his door, he stepped out and walked to the back of his car to retrieve the blanket he had packed earlier. Walking around to the passenger side, he opened her door and handed it to her.

"I can't afford to keep the car on cause my battery could die. It gets a bit cold sometimes so I figured ya might need this."

"Thanks." She took the blanket he offered and placed it on her lap. The material felt soft under her hands.

"I'm going ta get something to eat. Do ya want any'ting?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm good."

"Okay. I'll be right back." 

They hadn't parked that far from the entrance, so it wasn't that far of a walk to the food stand. Even though she had said she did want anything, he had planned to get them a large bag of popcorn to share just in case. Walking towards the stand, Declan saw a few other gypsies hanging around the area, a few of them he recognized from the gym he trained in.

That simple thought stopped him in his tracks. If any of them bothered to notice him, they'd ask him why he was here. He had no problem lying and telling them that he came by himself, but then that would raise questions as to why he came alone. He didn't want to have to tell the truth; that he was out with someone. That would only raise questions about who he was with. Things would only get bad if they found out he was out with a gorger, a non-traveler. Word would eventually get out, and then his family could end up hearing about it. He couldn't let that happen. No one needed to know he was here.

Quickly, Declan turned around and headed back to the truck. 

It had been a couple of minutes since Declan went to get food. Cheyanne sat there patiently waiting, looking around the inside of the old truck. From what she had gathered, he wasn't much of a music lover, as there was only one CD in glove compartment. She had found an old pack of cigarettes in the compartment as well, along with a lighter and an outdated road map. Hanging off of the rear view mirror was a handmade lanyard, with a wooden cross dangling off of it. The knot work was pretty impressive, and it made her wonder if he had spent the time to make it himself.

A few more minutes past, and Cheyanne began to wonder what was taking him so long. It was probably best to go check in him, she thought. He might have been having trouble carrying the food.

Reaching for the handle, she opened the door about a fraction when the driver's door swung open. Cheyanne jumped a little as she saw Declan quickly slide into his seat and slam the door. He had leaned back and took several deep breaths with his eyes closed.

"Are you okay?" She finally asked. "You were gone awhile." She looked down at his hand and notice they were empty. "I thought you went to get food?"

He opened his eyes a little and inclined his head towards her. "I changed my mind. Not hungry anymore."

Cheyanne narrowed her eyes and stared at him. He knew she wasn't exactly buying into his story, but he didn't really care. He wasn't about to tell her otherwise. Eventually, she gave in and let the burning question she wanted to ask go.

The movie started five minutes later, and as he predicted, the movie completely sucked. Correction. It sucked ass. The whole film was centered around this American spy who was forced to keep a secret identity and live a double life. The entire time, he's trying to find this cliché bad guy who wants to start another world war while trying to maintain his two love lives. Apparently he's been fucking two different girls; one a simple Manhattan waitress, and another, a sexy Russian intelligence agent. Right now they were at the part where the bad guy has captured the sexy Russian, and the good guy has to save her.

The fight scene was completely fake, with over dramatic martial arts tricks and blood spurting everywhere. The movie couldn't get any worse at this point.

Declan didn't bother to turn to see if Cheyanne's shared the same bored expression.

"Hey, I'm sorry about this whole t'ing."

"What?" She asked, not taking her eyes off the screen.

"Dis movie sucks. We should'a gone somewhere else." He felt like an idiot. He should have taken her somewhere better. She was probably use to more upscale dates then this. She was probably hating it right now, having to slum with the Travelers. This was a mistake.

"Are you kidding me?" She asked, surprised. "This is great."

Declan whipped his head around and gave her a confused look. "Really?"

"Absolutely." She continued to stare at the screen. Declan could tell that she was honestly interested in it.

"But why? Dis film is complete shit."

She shrugged and turned to him. "Well, yeah, if you look at it like an action movie. But as a comedy, this thing is hilarious."

"What?" Now he was completely lost.

Cheyanne could tell that he wasn't quite sure what she meant, so she tried to break it down for him. "What I'm trying to say is that everything in this movie is completely over the top and ridiculous. All the action and the people are over exaggerated, just like in a comedy. Look right here." She pointed to one of the guys the spy had just gunned down. "Do you see how crazy his face looks? It's like you could tell he's thinking 'Oh my God, I think I just got shot man. I think I should die right about now'." She pointed to another guy who was bleeding profusely on the floor. "And that guy is probably thinking 'Damn, my knee hurts so bad. It hurt's even more the bullet in my chest'." Cheyanne busted out laughing and Declan couldn't help but laugh along with her.

She was right, in fact, this movie was hilarious. The two of them made jokes through the entire fight scene, each one going back and forth making up strange commentary to go along with the characters.

When the Russian woman was freed from her bonds, Cheyanne jumped in and began imitating the character. 

"Oh thank you for coming to save me, sexy spy guy. I'm just so exhausted from screaming for three hours straight." She had to hold back a giggle from laughing at her own bad Russian accent.

"That's okay, baby," Declan jumped in as the spy. "I'm her to save ya. I'll get ya some cough drops for yar sore throat." 

"Oh thank you, spy guy. How will I ever repay you?" Cheyanne pleaded.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that there's a sex scene coming up soon. I think you can repay me by giving me a good fuck."

In her best sultry voice Cheyanne spoke. "Oh but, how do you know I'm not saving myself for that one special guy." She turned to Declan and gave him the most lustful look she could conjure up.

He turned to her and gave her a cheesy heroic smile. "Cause, baby, with tits like yars, there's no way you haven't been fucked."

The two of them bust out laughing. At this point it was almost uncontrollable. Looking at this movie now, there was no way ether of them could take any of the action seriously. 

Declan continued to stare at her as more laughter bubbled out from her. The sound of her soft chuckle grabbed him for a moment, causing him to take a good look at her. Her laugh was definitly the cutest he had ever heard. At one point, she had even managed to snort, which only invoked more laughter from her. The smile that had spread across her face revealed two small dimples on the sides of her cheeks. He didn't know how, but watching her sit there, she had somehow become even more beautiful.

Cheyanne finally calmed down enough to compose herself. She hadn't laughed like that in a long time, and she felt great knowing she was having fun again. Feeling eyes on her, she looked up to see Declan gazing at her. Something about the way he was staring at her seemed different. Like he had just noticed something he hadn't seen before. The look started to make her feel a little self-conscious, as well as a little flustered.

Clearing her throat, she directed there attention back to the movie, effectively snapping Declan out of the trance he was in. Just as he had predicted, the couple had found their way into a bedroom and began stripping each other of their clothes. The tension in the car immediately got thicker. 

Watching the man on the screen carefully peal each piece of clothing off of his woman raised thoughts in Declan's head. What would it be like to be able to strip every piece of clothing off of the woman sitting next to him? To be able to see the honey colored skin beneath the surface? To be able to feel her underneath his hands? Sensing movement in his peripheral, he turned his gaze ever so slightly to see her pulling the blanket off her shoulders and shimming out of her jacket. Without the small piece of fabric covering her, he was able to get a glimpse of the modest amount of cleavage that her dress revealed. From where he was sitting, he could see that her dress had ridden up over her thighs a bit more, and was now showing a considerable amount of leg. God, how they looked so smooth. Declan tried to look forward and concentrate on the movie. But each flash of naked skin that he saw only made more aware of the woman next to him.

Cheyanne was having a difficult time trying to watch the couple on the screen. Looking at the explicit sex scene before her didn't help her ignore the man next to her. She had become extremely aware of the tension that had built between them when the couple in the movie began grinding upon one another. Each sigh that emanated from the woman's mouth only reminded Cheyanne of the first night she had met Declan, about how the dance on the floor of the club, about how the kissed one another. 

Feeling a little warm, she had taken off the blanket and jacket she had on and placed them on the floor of the cab. Suddenly she got this definitive feeling of being watched. She didn't need to look to know whose eyes were now fixed upon her. Desperately trying to ignore him, Cheyanne kept her eyes forward and continued to watch the scene. The man was now lavishing the Russian's breast's with kissing, effectively causing her to let out a long moan. Images of Declan touching her in such a way had caused a warm feeling to pool in her panties.

Declan could have almost died when he heard a small sigh pass her lips. It made the already hard member in his pants twitch. She probably was not even aware that she had done it, which made it all the more arousing for him. Looking back down at her legs, he noticed that she had begun rubbing her thighs together. No doubt trying to find some sort of release. It made him wonder if her pussy was wet. Slowly, he began to inch his hand forward.

God, she didn't know how much more she could take sitting there with him. The scene had gone on for more than six minutes and she was beginning to wonder if it would ever end. A part of her didn't want it to. A sort of pressure was beginning to build within her, and she unconsciously began to rub her legs in order to relieve some of it. It wasn't really helping though. She was so wound up at this point, that she barely even registered the light brush at her thigh. 

Inch by inch, Declan's hand moved across Cheyanne's thigh until he had his whole hand rapped around it. The firm muscle felt so smooth, just as he imagined. He didn't linger there, however. Slowly his hand move higher to its intended destination. 

Cheyanne's breathing had started to pick up. She knew where Declan's hand was going, and she didn't make any move to stop it. On the screen in front of them, the scene had begun to reach its climax, with the woman ranting and begging for her lover to go faster. Cheyanne wanted so bad to tell Declan to touch her more and beg him for the release she craved. A his hand moved up her leg higher and higher, the scene before her built higher and higher, until the woman let out a long scream. Declan took that moment to plunge his hand in and grab a hold of her pussy. Cheyanne couldn't take the pressure, and let out a small moan of her own.

Declan could feel how soaked her panties were. When that soft moan escaped her lips, he knew he couldn't take it anymore. Reaching out, he grabbed hold of her and crushed her to him. Before Cheyanne was even aware of it, Declan had taken full control and was now ravishing her with kisses. Never had a man tasted so good to her. She could feel the ruff stubble of his facial hair rubbing against her chin as he crushed his mouth to hers.

Declan had never removed his hand from between her legs, and was now furiously rubbing his palm against her panty clad mound. The sensation he was giving her caused her to moan, allowing Declan the chance to dip his tongue into her awaiting mouth. God, how he wanted this woman. Removing his hand from between her legs, he placed his hand behind her knee and pulled her leg over his waste. The action perfectly placed her pussy on his hard dick. Not once did he manage to remove his mouth from hers. 

He knew he shouldn't have been acting this way. She deserved more than this. But dammit, would he be lying if he said he didn't want this. She wasn't like most girls, and he didn't dare try to compare her to the others. None of them had ever caused such a fire to start within him. And he liked it.

Cheyanne lost herself within the kiss that Declan was giving her. She became frighteningly aware of the hardness between her legs and was aroused by it. While her hands moved up to rap themselves in his dark hair, her lower body began slowly grinding against him. The repetitive movement caused a low groan to slip past his lips. Suddenly, Declan grabbed onto her hips, and in one switch movement, lifted her to straddle his waist. She wanted to grind her body against his, and feel his hard member rub against her sensitive pussy, but before she even got a chance to sit down, her butt collided with the steering wheel and hit the horn.

The sudden blast of the car effectively caused the couple to separate, causing each one to jump and return to their own respective side of the truck.

Both of them were breathing heavily, and each one was more than a little flustered. Tension began to build back up again. But this time, it was not from the every growing arousal between the two of them. This one was different. The air in the cab was now filled with embarrassment as well as the scent of their close interaction. Neither of them could manage to look at the other.

Cheyanne had no idea how to handle this. This was now the second time she had lost control in front of him. There was no telling what he must be thinking about her.




Traditions Ch. 03



With a shaky breath, Cheyanne somehow found her voice. "I'm sorry."

She stopped a moment, hoping that he would jump in and say something. When he didn't respond she continued.

"That shouldn't have happened." She said quietly.

"I know." He said. His voice was low and husky.

"I don't know what's come over me." She took another deep breath and sighed. "I usually don't act that way."

"I know." He said again. "Neither do I."

Hearing his confession only made Cheyanne feel more ashamed. 

"I shouldn't have done that." Her voice was stronger. "We shouldn't have done that. We barely even know each other. I'm mean look at me. I'm only nineteen years old, and your..."

"Twenty-two." He answered for her.

"Twenty-two." She said a little shocked. "Great." She didn't know why she had thought he was closer to her in age. She realized her mistake now, and scolded herself for being such an idiot. "This shouldn't have happened tonight. For God sake's, I don't even know your last name. This was all a mistake. I'm sorry." She sighed again and turned from him.

A long moment past without either of them saying a word. 

"McCarthy."

Cheyanne turned her head to him. He was still staring away from her, so maybe he wasn't intentionally speaking to her.

"W-what?" she asked hesitantly.

"My last name. It's McCarthy." He turned to her. "And I'm not, sorry that is."

Reaching out to her, he placed his large hand around the nape of her neck and pulled her face towards his. The kissed they shared this time was soft, not as fast and as fiery as the one they had just shared moments ago. This new exploration of each other continued until the end of the movie.

****

Declan drove her back to her school after they left the drive in. Cheyanne's fingers were firmly laced with his and gently resting on his heavily muscled thigh. The ride back into town was quiet, with neither of them saying much. Nothing really needed to be said. Both were very content and at ease.

As quietly as he could, Declan drove through the entrance gate of the school and started making his way down the winding narrow streets to her dorm building.

"That's it over there. You can just drop me off here."

"Are ya sure?" He was a bit hesitant to leave her outside this late at night. "Do ya want me to walk ya to yar room?"

"No, it's fine. I'm not supposed to have visitor's this late, anyway." 

"Oh," He nodded his head. "I guess that's a good t'ing."

"Why?"

"Cause then I won't have ta worry bout some guy sneaking into my woman's room at night." 

"Your woman?" She quirked. "Don't you think your being a little too possessive?"

"No. The men in my family are very protective over the things we own." 

She raised her eyebrow. "Own?" She didn't like the sound of that. "I'm not a piece of furniture that you just bought."

He slowly shook his head. "No yar not. Yar my woman," he turned to her and gave her look that quickly silenced the protest in her mouth, "and I protect what's mine."

"Yours?" She thought about it and gave him a soft smile. That sounded a lot better than being owned. But she had to wonder, did being owned and being his mean the same thing.

Looking back up into his face, she noticed that his eyes had become hooded and were staring right at her. The way his eyes longingly gazed at her caused a fire to burn beneath her skin. 

"Come here." Placing his hand behind her neck he pulled her face closer to his and gave her the softest of kisses. In that small moment, it seemed like their lips barely even touched. But the fire that had slowly begun to build with in her suddenly died at the contact. The way his lips moved over hers made it seem like he was trying to memories the feeling of them. She could have stayed out there in his car all night if she wanted to, but she knew someone would eventually run across them, and that would only make for an embarrassing situation.

All too quickly she pulled back from him. At the absence of her lips, Declan leaned forward to reclaim them once more.

"I have to go." She whispered to him. 

Declan groaned a little. Reluctant as he was to let her go, he slowly leaned back and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. Looking at her, he could tell that she was flustered as well. Her lips were red and pouty, a result from there intense kissing throughout the night, and a few loose curls had fallen free from her pony tail and over her face. It was so sexy.

Just as she had reached the handle to open the door, Declan clasped her other hand.

"I want to see you again." He stated.

She blushed a little at his forwardness. "I do to." She stated just as strongly. "The next couple of days are kind of busy for me, but I think that Saturday..."

"No, tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" She shook her head. "I have school tomorrow." She said, and turned to leave. She had opened the door just a fraction of an inch when Declan's big arm came across her and slammed the door shut.

"After school then."

His sudden aggressiveness and demanding tone of voice were starting to get the better of her. Seeing him take charge like this wasn't all that surprising to her. Cheyanne knew from the beginning that Declan was the type of man that liked to be in control. She could tell by the way he had talked to her that first night on the dance floor, and by the way he had coerced her into having lunch with him. She knew it by the way he invited her on this date, and the demanding way he had kissed her into oblivion. Declan was the type of man who got what he wanted from his women, and knowing that he was being that demanding with her only turned her on.

Leaning in ever so slightly, she let her lips tease him. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, waiting for the kiss she was promising him.

He felt the smile that formed on her lips as she said. "I have work."

Taking advantage of his distracted state, Cheyanne pushed his hand from the door and lightly jumped out of the cab and onto the pavement. She would have shut the door, but Declan had quickly recovered from his momentary loss of control and held open the door before it slammed.

"After work then." The husky sound to his voice let her know just how much she had affected him.

With a smile, she nodded her head and shut the door to the truck. As she turned and walked to her dorm building, Cheyanne could feel Declan's eyes boring into her back all the way to the front door, and didn't feel that his gaze let up until she was out of his viewing range.

****

Declan didn't let out the breath he was holding until he saw Cheyanne disappear inside the building. Damn this woman. Not once did he think this night would be so intense. He knew how fiery she could be. He had witnessed that first hand when they had first met. But in the past few times he had seen her, he had learned how warm she could be as well as passionate. She had the power to tease him to know end, as well as make him feel powerful. He didn't know anyone who embodied such a powerful combination of emotions within him. As good as he felt after leaving the university, the emotions he was feeling were new to him...and that made him skeptical.

As he made his way home, that good feeling he had when he watched her leave slowly began to vanish as the uncertainty of what their relationship was began to grow. No one in his family had ever even entertained the idea of dating a non-traveler, and now here he was fantasizing about the naughty things he wanted to do to her.

Pulling into the family plot, he parked his truck a little ways in front of his modest camper. Leaning on his window, he stared at his home for a moment. It had cost him a pretty penny, but at the time he had bought it, he had grown a little tired of living at home with his large family. You couldn't put a price on privacy. It was a fairly large trailer, complete with kitchenette, living area, and a bed/bathroom area. It was definitely big enough to fit two comfortably. The image of Cheyanne standing in the kitchen washing dishes warmly worked its way into his mind. The idea of her in his home was very appealing.

Mother fucker, what the hell was he thinking! Declan wanted to smack himself for thinking such a ridiculous thought. There was no way in hell he could bring her here. The fact that he was even contemplating the idea made him realize just how much this girl affected him. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Declan groaned as he began to feel the beginning of a small headache coming on.

Reaching into his glove compartment, he brought out the pack of cigarettes and popped one in his mouth. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out his small silver lighter and flipped the lid, causing a small flame to ignite.

As he was leaning into the flame, the soft light of the fire alerted him to the figure that was approaching the car. Taking a second, he rolled down the window allowing his father to cross his arms and lean into the car.

Declan's father looked at him for a long moment, studying the contrite look on his face. Declan remembered how his father would use that face on him when he had caught him doing something he shouldn't have been doing. The fact that he was giving him that face now caused him to squirm in his seat.

Momentarily taking his eyes off his son's face, Ducky looked down to the unlit cigarette in his hand. 

"Ya know that's what killed your Uncle Paddy."

"I thought Uncle Paddy was in jail."

"What? No, I'm talking bout yar great Uncle Paddy. Paddy Sr." He shook his head. "I swear he must have smoked at least two packs a day, and then would wash it all down with a six back of beer."

Declan gave half a smile and chuckled softly. "Must be where ya got yar drinking habits from."

Ducky laughed. "Yeah yeah, I guess yar right bout that." Reaching his hand in, he plucked the cigarette from between his son's lips. "But I know also know yar not that much of a smoker. You only use them when yar wound up or worried. Which makes me wonder what's got u in such a tizzy?"

Declan sighed and took the cigarette from his father's hand. Cupping the flame of the silver lighter with his other hand he gently lit the cigarette and took a deep breath before letting it out. 

"I just... have a lot on my mind." Throwing the pack back into the glove compartment, he rolled the window back up and stepped out of the truck.

"Funny," Ducky said. "Ya didn't seem to have so much on yar mind before you left home."

Declan shrugged and took another puff off his cigarette. 

"Where'd ya go?" Ducky asked.

"No where."

"Who'd ya see?"

"No one." Declan said nonchalantly.

Ducky looked at his son suspiciously. He had never once had to question his son. That was something he usually had to do with his daughter. "So now yar keeping secrets from me." 

Declan shook his head and took another long puff from his cigarette before blowing it out. "I'm not keep'in any'ting from ya. If it was any'ting important, I would'a told ya." The small lie caused a lump to form in his throat.

Ducky merely nodded at his boy and turned away, accepting the fact that his son was not being completely honest with him, an occurrence that almost never happened between the two of them.

Both McCarthy men leaned against the door of the old truck and stared out at the rows of camper's in front of them. The silence between them stretched on for several minutes. The nighttime air was starting to get chilly, the only warmth radiating from the rapidly cooling engine of the truck and the small cigarette in Declan's hand. When the cigarette burned about half way through, Declan rubbed the end of it at the bottom of his boot and threw the remnants across the yard.

"Hey, it's gett'in late. I'm gona head inside."

"Ya know, I saw the way you were look'in at yar house." Ducky's statement caused Declan to freeze just as he opened the door.

He didn't know exactly how to respond, so he just said. "Yeah."

"Was there something wrong wit it?" His dad asked curiously.

Declan turned to look at his father and shook his head innocently. "No."

"Huh," Ducky stood up from the truck and walked over to his son. "I never did tell you how much I liked yar home. It was a good pick."

"Thanks."

"It's a bit big though. Not exactly one I would have picked out if I were a single man. This ones the kind of camper I would'a picked out if I was fixin to start a family."

Declan's eyes widened and he quickly turned away from his father. Ducky didn't fail to notice his son's lack of response or the way he seemed to fidget at the idea of starting a family.

"Ahh, now I see."

"See what?" Declan asked.

Ducky smiled at his son's obvious attempt at playing dumb. He just shook his head. "Nothing." Walking up to Declan, he placed a warm hand on his strong shoulder. "Now that I think about it, this camper is perfect for ya. Yup, it's just big enough."

Finally getting what his father was hinting at, Declan's quickly shook his head. "No, dad, it's not..."

"Hey, you dona have to say any'ting. I get it. Dis is probably not a conversation ya want to be hav'in right now, and to be honest, I dona quite think yar ready for it either. But I will tell ya dis..." he squeezed his son's shoulder a bit and turned him around to look him in the eyes. "Whoever dis girl is that's got ya thinking about settling down, must be something special."

Before the protest even began forming on his mouth, Declan stopped and thought back over there night together. Images of her dimpled smile, and the way her caramel skin felt beneath his hands brought the smallest of smiles to his face.

"Yeah," he replied. "She is."

Ducky smiled big and gave his son a hard pat on the back. "Well good." Turning away from his son, he casually began walking back to his home with his hands in his pocket. "Sounds like yah might want to keep a hold of this one, boy."

Opening his door, Declan whispered a small promise to himself. "Oh, I plan too."



Traditions Ch. 04



I know this seems odd. Your probably wondering right now why i resubmitted the same chapter. Well...I gave it the wrong title.  Originally it was chapter six. Obviously...its not. So I submitted it again to avoid confusion.




The past month had been a very enjoyable one for Cheyanne.  While her days were filled with classrooms and work, her nights were spent in the arms of her Irish man.  Whenever enough time was available, they both would step out of their normal routine and spend a couple of hours together.  Cheyanne seemed to really enjoy those moments she spent with Declan.  He would take her out and show her parts of the city she had never really taken an interest in before.  Everything to her seemed more exciting and new, partly because she now had somebody to share it with.  

On top of it, Declan had proven to be such a gentleman.  Whenever he had enough time off from work and the gym, he would always go out of his way to pick her up from her afternoon classes and take her to work at the café.  She couldn’t thank him enough for it.  

On the rare occasions that he would talk about his personal life, he would always let her know about how his training was going.  When she had first heard that he frequently competed in tournaments, she had become concerned that she would have to deal with the many injuries that came with the job. But listening to him talk about how dedicated he was and how hard he worked reassured her that she didn’t have to worry.

Even though he didn’t like to talk about his own life, he was always interested in learning about her life back home.  He liked to listen to her talk about her life back home and her family. From what he had heard, she had grown up in the same, modest two stored home for most of her life and that her parents had worked normal nine to five jobs.   It was interesting to hear that she only had one other sibling, a sister.  Declan grew up in a house with five other children.  He had suspected that she was probably very lonely as a child, but Cheyanne had told him that she and her sister were very close growing up.  She couldn’t have imagined growing up any other way. 

 It was the beginning of December now, and Cheyanne was glad that she no longer had to worry about her classes anymore.  She had passed her exams with flying colors and was in a celebratory mood.  But first she had to go to work.

It had now become normal for Declan to come by her dorm and take her to work after classes.   Most of the time he was in town for a client and would swing by for her in case she was running late or had been asked to take another shift.  Now it was just routine for him to come before she left for work.

Stepping out of her building she quickly scanned the parking lot before her eyes fell on the all familiar truck that she had gotten used to seeing.  A small smile spread across her face as she took in the tall figure approaching her.  She didn’t know how, but Declan seemed to grow even more handsome every time she saw him.  Today he was wearing a black sweater and denim jeans, with a dark jacket over his shirt.

“It’s cold.”  She said through clenched teeth.  She tried rapping the thin sweater she had tighter around herself to keep out the cold, but it failed to keep out the cold weather.  She was a little unprepared for the sudden snow fall they had received over the last week.  White Christmas’s in Dallas are few and far between.  Whenever the weather did surprise them with a little snow, it usually would be gone the next day.

“That’s cause you need a thicker jacket, silly.”  Pulling her into his embraced, Cheyanne rapped her arms tightly around him and soaked in his warmth.

“Ah, that’s so much better.” She spoke into his chest.

“Mi God, you’re shivering.” He said with a smile, careful not to let his amusement leak out. 
She grunted.  “How often does it snow around here?”

“Pretty often,” he didn’t bother to conceal his chuckle at her disappointed face.  “We usually get a good couple of inches during the winter months.”

“No.” She grumbled pulled herself closer to Declan.  Running her nose across his collar bone, she was able to take in rough manly smell of him.  “You smell like sweat and grass.”

“I did just get back from a job ya know.” She continued to rub herself against him, making Declan extremely aware of how tempting her body was.  Leaning down he gruffly whispered in her ear. “Do ya like it?”

“Um hmm.” She nodded and looked up at him.  “I love it.”

“Hmm.” She was now rubbing her hands across his chest, and Declan loved the way they glided over him.  “Good.” Leaning over her, he lightly grazed his lips over hers, before wrapping his hand in her loose hair pressing his lips to her.

Declan loved the way her plump lips would move over his.  Today he could tell that she had put on her favorite lip gloss as the hint of angel food cake teased his taste buds. His tongue teasingly played at her lips before he forced them open.  He couldn’t help but let out a small groan when he felt her small tongue press back against his. There were day’s he’d swear that the woman in front of knew just what to do to drive him crazy.


Cheyanne couldn’t help but get lost in Declan’s arms.  With the way he was kissing her, and the way he was holding her, she had completely forgotten about the cold.  

Lately, their meeting’s had been getting pretty intense; with their lips never leaving each other for a more than an hour. Any other time, Cheyanne would love to get lost in the moment.  Unfortunately, she did have some place to be.

“Dec…Declan,” she spoke between kisses.  “I…I have to be…At work…in ten minutes.”

He pulled back an inch.  “Then that gives us nine minutes to do this.”

“Dec-,” Before she could get another word in, Declan silenced whatever protest she had with his lips.

Getting her hands in front of her, she gently tried to push him away from her.  With his arms tightly wrapped around her, Cheyanne’s gentle nudges across his muscled chest barely registered.  Eventually, Declan released her lips and began placing light kissed across her cheek and down her neck.  Leaning her head back just a bit, Cheyanne appreciatively gave him more access to her throat.  She couldn’t help but revel in the attention Declan was giving her at the moment.

“Dec…Declan please, I have to go.  I can’t afford to be late today.”

With a heavy sigh, he finally relented and released his hold on her.  “Fine.  Hurry up and get your fine ass in the truck.”  With a light smack to her bottom, Cheyanne quickly shuffled to the other side of the car and jumped into the passenger seat. 

Since it normally took Cheyanne ten minutes to get to work on foot, the two easily arrived at the small café in no time flat.

After opening the door for Cheyanne, Declan quickly entrapped his woman in his arms again.

“You see, now you’re early for work, which means we could have had more time to do this.”  He gave her a small lingering peck to her lips.

“Yes we could have.  But if we had, I would have never made it to work.”

He smiled at that.  “Yeah, guess your right about that one.  But I guess you’re just going to have to make it up to me this weekend.”

“This weekend?” A little lump began to form in her throat. 

“Yeah, their closing the gym down for the holiday, so I figured you and I…”

“I can’t.”

Confused, Declan pulled back a bit.  “Why not?”

“Well the thing is… I’m going to be out of town for the next couple of weeks.”

“Really?” He was a little confused as to why he was just hearing about this now. 

“Yeah.” She paused for a second and let the information she surprised him with soak in.  When he didn’t respond she took it as a sign to continue.  “See, even though I talk to my parents all the time I still kind of miss them; and since I wasn’t able to go and visit them for Thanksgiving, I figured it would be a good idea if I went and spent my winter break with them.”

“The whole winter break?”

“Well, yeah.”

He pulled back further and stuck his hands in his pocket. “But that’s…”

“Four weeks.  I know.”

Declan cursed under his breath.  He could feel another headache coming on and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“And you conveniently failed to mention this to me because?”

“Trust me I didn’t mean to keep this from you like it was some big secret.  It’s just been a crazy couple of weeks.”  When he continued to stare at her she sighed.  “Come on, you know how crazy it’s been.  I know it’s not a good excuse…”

“Your right it isn’t.” He snapped.

“But it’s the truth. And besides,” she said, “it’s not like you share everything with me.”

Declan straightened a bit.  “Excuse me?”

“Oh please, don’t act stupid.” She huffed and crossed her arms.

“Well for arguments sake, let’s just pretend I’m stupid.  What is it that I don’t exactly share with you?”

“Everything!” She said, throwing her arms out.  “Come on Dec, let’s be honest here.  I barely know anything about you. Okay, sure you may not be a complete stranger to me, but I hardly know anything about your personal life.”

“You don’t need to know everything about my personal life. It’s personal.”

“Maybe not everything, but I’d at least like to know something.  Something like what you would do on a normal Tuesday morning or what dinner with your family is like. Now that I think about it, in the entire time we’ve been together you’ve never once even talked about your family.”

“That’s because it’s none of your business.”

“I’ve told you about my family.  How is it any different?” Cheyanne’s voice was starting to rise, causing a few passer-byes to take notice.

“It…It just is.” He fixed a few nosey people with some hard stares before turning back to her.  “Will ya keep your damn voice down.  People are starting to stare.”

“I don’t give a damn.”

“Fine!”  He didn’t go out of his way to pick her up to have to deal with this shit.  Walking to his side of the car, he opened the door and paused. “I’ve got plans tonight, so you better find another ride home.”

“You know I did use to walk here before you came along.  I’ll do fine on my own.”

“Cheyanne I don’t want you walking out at night by yourself.”

“Tough shit.”  And with a flick of her hand that she turned around and headed into the café.

Declan stood there fuming as he stared at her retreating back.  Just what the fuck had gotten into her.  Why the sudden need to know more about his family?  Things had been going fine just the way they were.  Then, all of a sudden, she needed to know what type of family man he was.  Oh hell fucking no. That was not how their relationship worked.

Then how does it work. He thought to himself .Cursing under his breath, Declan finally got into his truck and pulled out into traffic.

After hanging up her sweater on the coat rack, Cheyanne quickly shuffled around the counter and made a bee line towards Ginger.  She couldn’t help but laugh as she watched her friend struggle with the blender.

“How the bloody hell do you work this thing?” She said throwing up her hands in defeat.

“Ginger. Relax.  It’s just a blender.”

“Oh, I know. Trust me. I know how to work a blender.  But this bloody high tech contraption is getting on my friggin nerves.  There are at least five different settings on this thing that I have never even heard of before.”

Cheyenne sighed.  The blender, along with a few other electronics in the café, was recently upgraded to a more high tech model.  The owner brought them in hoping they would bring in more customers and increase efficiency at the café as a whole.  So far they’ve only proven to be a pain in the butt for some of the less technologically savvy staff members.


“Here,” she smiled. “Let me.”

“Thank you, love.” Ginger graciously step back from the cursed machine and leaned back against the counter.

“What were you trying to make?” Cheyanne asked as she looked at the contents of the blender.

“Some sort of caramel vanilla frap bean thing.”

“Ok, give me the order.” Looking at the order on the slip of paper Ginger had, she quickly went to grab the ingredients and began fixing it.  Opening the lid of the blender she peaked inside and took a sniff the concoction. “Whew, oh yeah, that smells.”

Ginger laughed at Cheyanne’s face.  “I don’t know how you kids drink this stuff.  When I was your age, we use to drink coffee one way.  Dark, black, and hot.”

The comment made Cheyanne roll her eyes. “Come on Ginger, you barely into your mid-forties. You’re not that much older than me.”

“Yeah, well I’m starting to feel that way.”

They both shared a laugh and then quickly went to work finishing people’s orders.  The dinner rush would be coming in soon, which Cheyanne actually looked forward to for once.  It was the perfect distraction she needed.  She didn’t want to have to think about Declan at the moment.  Really, though? How could he not realize how closed off he could be?  And then the way he snapped at her when she asked about his family.  He was being completely unreasonable.  But she didn’t need to think about him right now.  She just needed to think about work.  Nothing else. Just work.  Yep, she wouldn’t give Declan a second thought-

“What are you thinking about?”

Shit.

“Huh,” She turned to Ginger who was leisurely leaning on the counter waiting for her order from the kitchen to come up.

“I asked you what you were thinking of.  You seemed sort of distracted.”

She sighed.  “Sorry.  I just have a lot on my mind right now.”

“Hmm, does it have anything to do with that fine man who dropped you off?” Ginger gave her a knowing smile.

“Hey, is my order almost ready.” Cheyanne shouted through the kitchen window. 

“Oh no missy, you’re not getting out of this one.” Taking hold of her arm, Ginger lead Cheyanne from behind the counter. “Hey Jerry,” she shouted to a guy preparing drinks, “me and Annie are heading to the back for a bit.  Watch the front for us will you.”

Jerry nodded his head and waved them off.  Maneuvering their way towards the back Ginger pulled Cheyanne into the ladies bathroom and locked the door so no one could barge into their conversation.

“Now tell me what’s going on.”

“Nothing is going on,” she shrugged and looked away nervously, “me and Declan just had a…small…misunderstanding.” Hopefully she sounded convincing.

Ginger wasn’t buying it.  “You know as well as I that if you two really had a misunderstanding, you wouldn’t be as fidgety as you are now.”

Cheyanne relented and sighed. “I know, I know, it’s just…”she grunted. “He is just being so unreasonable.”

Ginger raised her eyebrow in confusion. “How so?”

Cheyanne didn’t really feel like retelling the whole argument but knew that there was no way of getting around it.  “My trip home was brought up on the way here…and I had yet to tell him about it.  Suffice to say that he was upset about it, and rightfully so, but then he had the nerve to get snappy with me when I brought up the fact that he conveniently doesn’t share things with me either.”

Ginger nodded.  “I can see why that would upset you.”

“Thank you.  I mean, how hard could it be for him to just talk to me.”

Ginger paused before speaking. “Maybe he has a good reason not to.”

The statement surprised Cheyanne and caused her to straighten.  “What do you mean? Why would have to hide things from me?”

“Well, you do know that he’s a gypsy.”

“Yeah.” Cheyanne just shrugged her shoulders. From her friend’s tone of voice and nonchalant attitude, Ginger could tell that Cheyanne didn’t fully comprehend what exactly that meant for Declan.

“Listen love, I know you haven’t been here for very long, so I know this is probably all new to you.  But there’s something you’ve got to understand about gypsies and travelers. They’re a lot different then you and me. No listen…” she raised her hand to stop the protest she knew was coming.  “I don’t mean to say that we should treat them any differently because they act different.  It’s just that there uniqueness causes people to think that way; that they don’t somehow belong with the rest of us. Even now you’ve got whole cities trying there hardest to kick gypsies out of their own homes, only to have them forced back into the city.  It’s all in an attempt to make them conform to society.”

“Declan’s family, the Irish Traveler’s, their lives are based on old traditions and high morals that date back hundreds of years ago.  But with all the changes that are being made in the twenty first century, they’re having a hard time trying to adapt.  Their culture is slowly dying out and they are trying their best to keep it alive any way they can, even if it means they have to secluded themselves and keep the rest of the world away.”

Cheyanne stood there and let her friend’s words sink in.  She had never really taken the time to understand what being a gypsy really entitled.  Now she had been given a crash course on the subject and was finding it to be a bit overwhelming.  Cheyanne was shocked to find out how harshly criticized they all were.  It was just blatant discrimination, is what it was. Upon hearing all of these things, Cheyanne was finally able to realize just how little she knew about Declan and his life.      

Walking over to where Ginger stood, Cheyanne turned and leaned against the wall, allowing herself to sag against it.

“So…what you’re basically telling me is that Declan chooses to keep secrets from me, because he feels like it’s the only way to protect his family.”

Ginger shook her head. “No, that’s not what I’m saying…”

“Then what are you saying, Ginger? Because right now, I’m still having trouble trying to figure out why Declan feels like he can’t share anything with me.  Why can’t he just talk to me like he would with any other person?”

“Because you’re not just any other person.” She said. 

Cheyanne shook her head and cast her eyes down to her feet in frustration.  “I don’t understand.”

“I know that, love.  And it’s not exactly the easiest thing to explain either.  But trust me when I say that, if he could, he’d have no trouble telling you his whole life story.  You see that’s what makes you so special.  Gypsies never go out with non-gypsies.  It’s just too much of a culture clash. But for whatever reason, Declan chose to break tradition… for you.  My only guess is that he doesn’t want to tell you about his family and such because he doesn’t want anything to come between the two of you.  He doesn’t want you, the person he cares about, to start judging him like any other person would.”

Cheyanne stood there for a moment, not saying anything, only thinking back on everything that had happened.  She inwardly groan when she though back to the conversation she had with Declan.  To him, she must have sounded like any other judgmental person he’d have come across on the street, quickly sputtering out questions in an attempt to pry into his secretive world.  God she felt horrible, and stupid.

“I’m such an idiot.”

“It’s okay, love.  Everything’s going to be alright. You two just had, what you would call, a lover’s spat.  It happens to all of us.” She lightly patted her shoulder.  “You both will get over it. But you both better get over it soon.  It would be bad for you two to leave things unsettled before you left for home.”

“Yeah, your right.” Cheyanne said.  “I’ll apologize after work.”  Straightening herself, she reached for the knob and opened the door to the bathroom.  Just before they walked out, Cheyanne turned and looked at her friend.  “Say, how’d you know so much about gypsies anyway?” She quirked.

“I lived next to a gypsy family growing up.  They were lovely people actually.”

****

At nine thirty, the small café closed and Cheyanne had just finished cleaning up and was readying herself to leave.

“Hey Ginger, I’m heading out.”

“You sure you don’t need a ride home?” Ginger shouted from where she was cleaning a few glasses.




Traditions Ch. 04



“No, I’m good. You guys have a great Christmas.” With that, Cheyanne turned and exited the café, with a chorus of farewells echoing behind her.

She only walked a few feet from the door when she finally saw the old trucked parked in front of her.

Cheyanne silently stared at Declan as he leaned across the front of his car.  His whole demeanor seemed casual to her, while she couldn’t help but feel a little tense as moments of their earlier argument and her conversation with Ginger began to race through her mind.

“You gona get in.” He said stiffly.

After a seconds hesitation, Cheyanne merely nodded and walked over to the car.  Stepping into the front cab, she quickly realized how warm it was.  The heat coming from the vent easily warmed the chilly feeling that she had gotten from standing outside.  The feeling almost made her relax.  Almost.

As soon as Declan jumped into the driver’s seat, the tension in her body grew again.  She was trying her hardest not to look at him, but it was becoming increasingly difficult as the seconds past.  She could tell the he was still peeved from what happened earlier, and was ready to give him a much needed apology. But as soon as she opened her mouth, the small speech that she had prepared all day at work suddenly vanished.

“You know, if you keep yar mouth open like dat, you’re bound to catch flies.” His tone was not humorous.

She needed to say something.  Anything!

“I told you I could walk home.”  

She wanted to smack herself.

Declan lightly scoffed, barely hinting towards any other emotion other than annoyance.

“And I told you, I didn’t want you walking around here at night.  Some’ting could happened to you.”

“I’ve walked out here at night before.  You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Yes, I do.” He said sternly.  “I don’t think I could live wit myself… if some’ting were to happen to you.” The last part was spoken softly, as if saying it any louder would reveal some big secret.

Hearing that he cared about her only made Cheyanne feel worse about what she had said that afternoon.   She just needed to hurry up and apologize to him.

“I’m sorry…about what I said earlier.” Turning her head a little, she tried to peak at him through the corner of her eye.  His gaze was held firmly on the road.  As the seconds past, Cheyanne decided to continue when he didn’t respond.  “I shouldn’t have been so pushy with you about trying to share things with me.  I understand why you can’t.  We’re just different-different people, that is, “she quickly corrected herself, “and we just move at different paces.  What I might be ready to share with you, you might not be ready to share with me.  And that’s completely fine.  I’m not going to rush things with you.  I know that you’ll open up to me when you’re ready, and I’m willing to wait till then.” Reaching over, she lightly pulled his left hand off the steering wheel and held it in hers.  “I’m willing to wait for you.”

He didn’t say anything at first.  He didn’t even bother to acknowledge their hands, only allowing his hand to lie limply in her palm. The long silence was beginning to worry her, and she started to wonder if maybe she had said the wrong thing.  Maybe her apology wasn’t good enough.

   A good minute passed before Declan lightly squeezed her hand and nodded his head. Silence continued afterwards, but it wasn’t the same harsh silence as before.

After a few minutes, Declan turned into the university and parked the truck in front of Cheyanne’s dorm.  Tomorrow she would be leaving, and he wouldn’t be able to see her for four whole weeks.  The thought frustrated him just a little.  He hadn’t been expecting her to leave, and even when she had told him, the thought of her being gone still had not registered.  He had felt unprepared, and was still upset that she had not bothered to tell him.

“Who’s taking you to the airport?”

Cheyanne fidgeted in her seat just a little.  “Well…I was going to ask Hannah if maybe she could take me, that is…if you weren’t able to.”

The question of whether he’d drive her to the airport hung in the air, letting him know that he could easily say no and let her find her own way.  He was still angry, and she knew it.  She was giving him way out if he wanted one.

“What time is your flight?”

Cheyanne lightly smiled.  “Ten fifteen.”

He curtly nodded.  “I’ll be here at eight.”

Cheyanne didn’t bother to hide her smile this time, and leaned in towards his lips.  But instead of the long lingering kiss she had expected, Declan merely gave her a small peck and turned from her.  Cheyanne pulled back in order to look at his face.  The set of his jaw was tight and his eyes did not waver away from the spot on his windshield he had suddenly taken great interest in. Obviously she wasn’t out of the clear yet.

Feeling a little hurt, Cheyanne quickly climbed out of the front cab and softly murmured a goodbye. Heading toward her building, she didn’t have to turn around to know that Declan had already pulled out of the parking lot.

****

It was nine fifty the next morning and Cheyanne was patiently sitting in her seat waiting for her plane to be called.

Declan was quietly sitting next to her, silently watching people pass by.  It seems that things had not changed since last night.  She had hoped that maybe a good night’s rest would diminish some of the anger he had felt towards her.  Apparently, Declan was the type of person to hold a grudge.  She piled that away for future reference. 

The ride to the airport had been a quite one, with only a few words passing between them concerning which terminal her plan was at and if she had all the necessary ID.  The ride over wasn’t too bad, and finding their way to the terminal wasn’t as bad as she had expected.  It seemed the hardest part was having to sit there while Declan gave her the silent treatment.

“Are you going to miss me while I’m gone?”

He didn’t say anything for a moment.  “Probably. Of course, I wouldn’t be missing you as much if you had told me that you were leaving sooner.”

“I know.  I know I should have told you.” She said.  “Believe me when I say that this wasn’t something I was planning on keeping from you.” Shyly she looked down and her hands and began playing with a loos string on her carry-on bag.  “You just always have a way of distracting me.  We’d always have so much fun, that I’d just forget about the world sometimes.” She nudged him lightly in a playful attempt to loosen him up.

After a moment, Declan cracked a small smile. “Yeah, I guess I can be pretty distracting.”

She smiled. “Very.”

His smile faded slightly.  “It’s just…I wish I had known earlier. I would have been more prepared… if I had known.”

“How? What could you have prepared for?”

He shook his head and shrugged.  “I don’a know.  I might have tried spending more time with you…or something.”

She laughed a little. “You already spend a lot time with me.  Really.  Plus, you have so many other things on your plate right now.  I don’t expect you drop any of those things for me.”

He turned his head and lifted his gaze to her.  “Still. Being in this type of…relationship…it’s new to me.”

Cheyanne nodded.  “It’s knew for me too.”

At that moment, a woman’s voice came over the intercom announcing that the plane to Dallas, Texas was now boarding.  Declan and Cheyanne both stood up as the others quickly headed towards the loading bridge.

“Thank you,” Cheyanne said, “for taking me here.  You really didn’t have to, you know.”

“I know.” He said simply. “But I wanted to.”

She nodded her head, a small lump beginning to form in her throat.  “So I’ll call you as soon as I land.”

“Okay.” He said.

“Okay.”  The smoldering look Declan was giving her right now was making her feel light headed.  The small lump in her throat seemed to have grown two sizes bigger, and was now affectively blocking her air way. Standing there at the terminal, with no other choice but to leave, Cheyanne didn’t realize how much she was going to miss Declan until now.

Noticing the saddened look in her eye, Declan reached out to her.

“Come here, dove.”  Declan effectively wrapped her in his arms and rested his chin on her head.  He knew exactly how she was feeling right now, because it was exactly the same way he was feeling.  Even though he knew he was going to see her again in just a few short weeks, up until this moment, they had been able to spend almost every day together.  It was going to be difficult not being able to be with her.

Pulling back just a little, Declan leaned in and claimed her lips.  Feeling there softness against his, Declan took the small moment they had to saver her sweetness.  If he was going to be living without her lips for four weeks, he wanted to at least have a good memory of what they tasted like.

When the second call for her flight was announced, the couple reluctantly pulled apart.  Hefting the small carry-on bag over her shoulder, Cheyanne turned and headed towards the loading bridge, taking every moment she could to look back at her man before finally boarding the plane.

****

“Guess who’s finally here.”  Cheyanne’s father shouted as they walked through the door.

The announcement of Cheyanne’s return was quickly accompanied by a loud chorus of squeals.  From around the corner, a small little girl sprinted around the side, effectively ramming into Cheyanne’s knee.

“Oomph.” Cheyanne fumbled a little, but quickly regained her balance.  

“You’ve been missed.” Her father’s deep voice rumbled off to the side.

“I can tell.” She said.  “And who might this be?” She playfully rubbed the small girl’s curly hair.

The chubby face looked up and gave a toothy grin.  “It’s me aunty Naynay.  Simone.”

“Really?” She feigned shock and picked up the girl to place her on her hip.  “My gosh you’ve gotten so big.”

“I’m a big girl now.  I turned four.” The small child held up her fingers in proof.

Cheyanne smiled.  “I know.  I’m sorry I missed your birthday kiddo.  But,” she place Simone on the floor, “I did get you a couple of cool Christmas presents to make up for it.”

Simone let out another high pitched squeal, and turned to run into the living room she had just come out of.

“Naynay’s here.  Naynay’s here.” She said in a sing song voice.

Walking into the living room, Cheyanne was greeted by a few excited family members.  Upon seeing her sister, Cheyanne almost had to control the urge to scream like her niece had.

“Oh my God,” Her older sister practically pulled her into her cage like arms. “Don’t you ever ever move that far away again. I just can’t stand you being that far.”

“I can’t live here forever.”  With her head firmly held to her sister’s chest, her words came out muffled. “Renee, you have to let go.  Your boobs are smothering me.”

“Oh, sorry.” She pulled back.

“Come over here college girl.” From behind her Renee’s husband, Aaron, pulled her away from her sister into a smothering hug of his own. “We’re glad your home, short stuff.”

Cheyanne tried to let out a sigh, but found that she could not muster up enough oxygen to create one. 

“Thanks Aaron….um…can’t breathe…over here.” She lightly patted him on his back in warning.

He merely let out a soft chuckle.  “Sorry short stuff.  Just glad to have you back home.”

Cheyanne had to hold back a groan.  “You know how much I hate that name.”

“I know,” he replied. “But until you find some magical way to reach my height, you’ll just have to find some way to get use to the name.”

“And unless there is some sort of magical bean to add eight inches onto my legs, I guess I’ll have no choice.”

Aaron was definitely on the tall side, averaging a height of about six feet three inches, effectively beating Declan’s height by two inches.  As a young man, he was able to play college basketball for a few years before changing his focus to law.  People always managed to question his choice to switch careers, always stating that he had such a great potential to make it to the NBA.  But he’d always reply by saying that if he hadn’t made the change, he would have never met the love of his life.

It was in one of his classes that he had happened to meet Renee for the first time.  She was the student teacher aid for his history class and had asked her for her help in understanding the material.  Needless to say, it wasn’t her brain that he was interested in.

“I finally see my sister convinced you to shave that beard of yours.” Cheyanne playfully reached to touch his goatee.  

Aaron ducked away from her hand and palmed his jaw to touch the smooth skin. “Yeah, well, what can I say?  She presented a good case, and I would have been insane not to comply.”

“You had no choice,” Renee turned to her sister and whispered in her ear. “I told him he wouldn’t be able to touch me if he didn’t.”

“Okay,” Cheyanne backed up and raised her hands. “I didn’t need to know that.”

“Besides,” Renee continued, “You’d look more professional with a goatee.  How do could people at court take you seriously with a bald head and a full beard.”

“I was winning cases before I shaved.” He remarked.

“And now you’ll win more of them.” Placing a quick kiss to her husband’s lips, she quickly turned and grabbed her sister’s hands.  “Come on, mom’s in the kitchen.”

Following her sister’s lead, the two women silently walked in toward the back of the house where the kitchen was located.

Upon entering the room, the two ladies quickly spot the small woman at the stove.  With her back to them, the smaller woman failed to notice the two other’s sneak up behind her. As they approached the stove, Cheyanne was able to take in the warm aroma of several different foods.  Lifting her head, she lightly sniffed the air.

“Mmm, is that pot roast I smell?”

Quickly whirling around, the older woman gazed at Cheyanne with a surprised expression before letting out a load scream.  Cheyanne couldn’t help but scream along with her.

“Whaaaaa, oh my god!  My baby’s home!” Cheyanne’s mother, Pam, excited shouted.

Before Cheyanne even had the chance to reply, her mother quickly pulled her into her tight hug.  

“Oh thank you Jesus, my baby’s finally home.”

Cheyanne smiled and calmly endured her third suffocating hug of the evening.

“Mom, mom, you might want to let up a bit.  Your hugging the life out of Cheyanne.” Renee interjected.

“Oh I’m sorry,” Pam pulled back but did not release her daughter from her arms. “I’m just so happy that my baby is finally safe and home.  I don’t know what I was thinking when I let your father convince me to let you move so far away.”

“He was probably thinking about how much he wouldn’t have to pay since they offered her a scholarship.” Renee commented.

With Renee standing next to their mother, Cheyanne couldn’t help but notice how much they resembled each other.  Although her mother had grown a bit plump over the years, she still remained as beautiful as ever.  Renee was the same way in that regard.  Cheyanne was always jealous of how stunning her sister looked.  Both her mother and sister shared the same chin length curly hair and smooth chocolate skin.  The only difference between the two of them was there height, with their mother being the shorter of the two.

While Cheyanne definitely got her height from her mother, it was her father she favored the most; not just in looks, but in attitude as well.  They both tended to laugh at the same jokes, watch the same movies, and enjoyed the same activities.

As if on cue, her father noisily stumbled into the kitchen with two of Cheyanne’s bags in tow.

“Excuse me ladies,” he huffed and dropped the bags onto the floor.  “But I do believe Cheyanne has something else she needs to be doing right now.” Turning to his younger daughter and gave her a look. “Now I know you didn’t think I was about to carry all this up to your room by myself.”

“Oh Donald, can’t I have a minute with my daughter.” Pam scowled.

“She’s my daughter too.  And I would think that she knew better than to let an old man carry so much weight.  It’s bad on my back.”

With a smile Cheyanne walked over to her dad and picked up both bags. “You’re not that old.”

“Maybe not,” he said, “but now that I’m surrounded by you young folks I’m starting to feel that way.”

“Aww, well if it makes you feel any better you can still think of me as your baby girl.”

Donald smiled down at her.  “You are my baby girl.” He said, and placed a small kiss on her forehead.

“Now, you better go on up and unpack your stuff,” her mother interrupted. “Dinner is almost ready and I made your favorite, pot roast with roasted potatoes.”

“There better be some macaroni and cheese over there, too.” Donald added as he walked past Cheyanne and into the kitchen

“Honey, tonight is not all about you.  I made this especially for Cheyanne.”

“There still better be macaroni.”

“Oh, just relax.  It’s sitting in the oven.”

“Thank you baby.” Placing a small kiss on his wife’s cheek, Donald made his way over to the dinner table and took his seat at the end.

“You better hurry and get ready for dinner.” He said. “You know we’ll start eating without you.”

With that, Cheyanne turned and made her way up the stairs into her room.

Ah, it was good to be back.  As much as she loved the little England town she now currently lived in, nothing compared to home sweet home.  She missed the sea green wall of her small childhood room.  Looking around she smiled at the old posters of teen pop bands she no longer listen to and the old worn out furniture she had since middle school. Yeah, this was home.

After placing her bags in her room she headed down the hall to the bathroom to freshen up and place her toiletries on the counter before unpacking.

While in the middle of unloading one of her bags, she heard a small knock at the door.

“Can I come in?” Renee’s voice echoed from the other side of the door.

Getting up from her spot on the floor, Cheyanne went an opened the door. 

She gave her sister a look. “Since when have you ever asked to come in my room.”

Renee tilted her head and smiled. “Your right.” Sliding past Cheyanne, Renee plopped herself on the bed. “Ahh, did I ever tell you how soft your bed was?”

“Yes, which was probably why you’d sneak in in the middle of the night.”

“Don’t act so sour.  We always had our best talks at night.” She sat up. “Remember that one night we were sitting in here and I had told you that I wanted to be a teacher.” 

“And mom and dad had been working doubles because they were saving up for you to go to medical school.”

“And I was so afraid to tell them.”

“Terrified.” Cheyanne laughed.

“Yeah,” Renee smiled. “Talking to you helped me buck up the courage to tell them.”

Cheyanne smiled at the memory. “We certainly did have some good times up here.”
Picking up one of the smaller bags on the floor, Renee unzipped the top and began helping her sister unpack.

“So how is everything up there in jolly old England?” she asked.

“Everything is going pretty well actually.” Cheyanne replied.  “I’m doing well in my classes, which is great since I’m also working every week.  All in all, I’ve got nothing to complain about.” Taking one pile of clothes, she walked over to her dresser and placed the clothes in one of the drawers.

“And have you made any new friends while you’ve been there.” Renee inquired.

“I have actually.” Cheyanne went on to tell her about Hannah and some of the crazy things that she would do.  She even went on to tell her about how Hannah had convinced her to go to the disco.

“You?” Renee asked. “You, miss bookworm, actually went out clubbing?” Renee placed a hand on her chest and feigned shock. “Dear Lord, there must be a God, because he has definitely worked miracles on you.”

“Geez Renee, you make it sound like I was completely boring in high school.”




Traditions Ch. 04



“Because you were.”

Cheyanne looked back at her sister.  “Thanks.” She said sarcastically.

“No problem.” Renee didn’t even bother to hold back her smile. “Anything interesting happen that night?”
Cheyanne pause before answering. “Nope.”

Renee stopped in the middle of folding a shirt to look at her sister.  “You’re lying.”

“No I’m not.” Cheyanne answered as she continued placing clothes in the drawers. She didn’t want to have to turn and face down her sisters observant stare. Her husband may have been the lawyer, but Renee sure knew how work someone like they were on trial.

“Yes you are.” Renee countered.  “Every time you lie you use one word answers, and your voice tends to get high and squeaky.”

Cheyanne turned around with her hands on her hips.  “I do not.”

“Yes. You do.  Now what happened?”

“Nothing.” She squeaked out. 

Damn it. Cheyanne could have hit herself.

“See there you go again.” Renee could help but smile at the look of discomfort on her sister’s face. “Something big must have happened that night for you to be so shy about it.” 

Cheyanne didn’t say anything at first.  She didn’t know if it was good idea to tell her sister the whole story.  But then again, this was her sister, and she told her everything.

“Yeah…something big did happen.”

“I knew it.” Renee gave triumphant smile.  “Does it have anything to do with that guy that you told me about?”

Cheyanne and talked briefly about Declan to her mom and her sister.  She told them they had gone on a few dates but she hadn’t really elaborated on their relationship.  They didn’t exactly meet under normal circumstances.

Cheyanne tried to hide the fact the she was blushing. “Yeah.”

“Oooo, I knew my baby sister couldn’t stay innocent forever.” Renee pushed the clothes she had folded off to the side and patted the spot next to her on the bed.

Plopping herself down next to her sister, Cheyanne retold the entire story of how she and Declan had met. She didn’t leave a single detail out and once she had finished her story, she couldn’t help but notice that her sister was blushing too.

“Well…I have got to say when you first told me about him, you made him sound sexy.”

“And now?”

“Baby girl, you make this boy sound like some Greek god!” Renee said excitedly.

Cheyanne started to laugh when her sister started fanning herself.

“Girls, your mother made all this great food. It’d be a shame if you didn’t get a chance to eat it.”

Cheyanne smiled at her dads joke before turning back to her sister.  “Time for dinner.”

The two got up from the bed and headed out of the room.  Just before they reached the stairs, Renee turned and whispered to her sister.

“Don’t think we won’t talk about this later.”

Walking into the kitchen, Cheyanne saw that her dad and Aaron had already seated themselves at the table.

“Took you two long enough.” Donald commented.

“What were you two ladies gossiping about upstairs?” Aaron asked.

Leaning down, Renee kissed her husband before taking the seat next to him. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Naynay sit next to me.” Simone excitedly pointed to the empty chair next to her.

Cheyanne smiled and took her seat next to her niece just as her mother came in with the macaroni and cheese.  All the food smelled delicious and warm.  The effect of her mom’s cooking was making her mouth water. Oh yeah, she missed having a home cooked meal.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Simone reaching her hand out to grab a bread roll.  

“Uh uh,” her mother reached out and patted Simone’s hand away. “Now you know better than that. What do we do before we eat?”

“Uh…” Judging from the way Simone was chewing on her fingers, Cheyanne could tell the little girl was at a loss.

Leaning in she whispered in her nieces ear. “We say grace-”

“Say grace. Say grace!” The little girl shouted enthusiastically.

Everyone at the table laughed before grabbing each other’s hand.

“Baby girl, why don’t you say grace.” Donald suggested.

She nodded and bowed her head. “Dear lord, thank you for allowing us to gather here this day and share this wonderful meal as a family. I pray that all of us will have a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year as well. Amen.”

“Amen.” They all said in unison.

Without any further encouragement, everyone at the table began to fill their plates with mountains of food; except for little Simone, who of course needed help from her favorite aunt.

“So how is everything going at school?” Aaron asked.

“Pretty good. All my classes are going well.” Cheyanne said before popping a big piece of pot roast in her mouth.  Closing her eyes she savored the rich flavors the seemed to have exploded in her mouth.

“I knew they would,” her dad replied. “You’ve always been a smart girl.”

“Thanks dad.” Cheyanne gave a small smile before letting her gaze fall to her plate. “If only I was smart enough to pick a major.”

“Relax, sis, a lot of people go into their first year of college with an undeclared major.”

“You didn’t.”

“Yes,” Renee said, “But I also changed my major. Which is just as normal as being undeclared.”

Cheyanne sighed and popped another piece of pot roast in her mouth.  For whatever reason, they juicy meat wasn’t as appetizing as before.  Here it was, mid-December, and she still hadn’t figured out what her major should be.  Was it weird that she still didn’t know what direction she wanted her life to go in?

“Don’t think about it too much short stuff.” Aaron spoke around the macaroni in his mouth.  “Besides, you could always go into my field.  You’ll be a step ahead of all the others since you could get firsthand knowledge from me.”

Cheyanne suppressed a smile.  “Yeah right.  I can’t even manage to keep a straight face in front of your wife.  I don’t know how you expect me to be able to do it in front of a judge.”

“Eh, it’s not for everybody.” Aaron leaned in. “And I wouldn’t take it too personally with your sister.  I think she has a sixth sense when it comes to people being sneaky.”

“Which is probably why I always catch you when you try to sneak an extra cookie to our daughter before bed.”

Hearing her mother mention her favorite treat, Simone perked up.  “Cookie! Cookie!”

The room erupted into a fit of laughter at the young girl’s enthusiasm. 

“Now see what you’ve done.” Renee laughed. “You’ve turned my daughter into the cookie monster.”

Aaron smiled. “At least now I don’t have to hide the cookies anymore.”

“Baby, you couldn’t hide anything if you tried.” Renee turned and gave Cheyanne a mischievous smile. “Just like Cheyanne couldn’t hide her dirty little secret about her boyfriend from me earlier.”

Cheyanne struggled not to swallow her fork and choke on it.  Oh my God. Her sister had now just opened a big can of worms at the dinner table.  There were no secrets within their small family, and now that Renee had let it be known the Cheyanne was holding something back, everyone would be on her like white on rice.  

“Boyfriend?” Her dad was the first to jump the bait. “What boyfriend?”

“Uhh…” Cheyanne couldn’t help but stutter.

“Oh.” Her mom interjected. “You mean that nice boy you were telling me about over the phone?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Cheyanne could see her dad stiffen.

“What?” 

“I thought you said yall had only gone out on a few dates.” Pam said.

“Dates!” Her dad dropped the fork he was holding onto the table.

“Yes mom, we have gone on a few dates.  But thats what you do when two people are…” she looked back and forth between her dad and her mom, “together.”

“Now wait just a minute!” Her dad exploded.

“Now Donald, calm down.” Her mom interjected. “It’s not that serious.  From what Cheyanne had told me, he’s a very nice boy.”

“How would you know that, Pam? Have you talked to this boy?” 

“Dad, be reasonable.” Renee jumped in.  “This is Cheyanne we are talking about.  You know she’s not the type of girl to get mixed up in anything bad, especially boys.”

“Still,” he mumbled. “I sent you to that fancy school to get your education, not mess with boys.”

“Donald, you’re being ridiculous.” Pam interjected.

“Ridiculous? How am I being ridiculous?  This boy could be dealing drugs for all you know.” Frustrated, he picked his fork back up and jammed it into his food.

The jab at Declan slightly agitated Cheyanne. “Daddy, he does not deal drugs.  Why would you even say something like that? You don’t even know him.”

Picking up his fork he pointed it at her.  “Exactly.  Why am I the last person to hear about this?”

“Maybe because I knew you’d act like this.” Cheyanne had to admit that part of the reason she hadn’t exploited her relationship was because she knew her dad wasn’t too happy about the idea of his daughters dating boys.  When Renee had first started dating Aaron, Donald wasn’t too happy about it.  It took several months for him to finally warm up to Aaron.

“I just don’t want you getting into any type of trouble because of this guy.”

“I know daddy.” Cheyanne leaned over and placed her hand on her father’s. “I know.  You don’t have to tell me twice.” She gave him a reassuring smile. 

For a few seconds, Donald remained silent.  He didn’t like hearing that his daughter was suddenly in a relationship.  She was always a quite child and hardly went out while she was in high school, let alone go on dates.  But looking at her now, he realized that his daughter wasn’t a teenager in high school anymore.  She was a young woman now, and was capable of making her own decisions.  After about a minute of silent contemplation, he nodded his head a grunted.

 “Your right.  You’re a smart girl, and I know you wouldn’t get mixed up in anything bad.”

“Of course not.” Cheyanne smiled. “I am your daughter.  You should have known you had raised me better than that.”

At that he had to laugh. “Yeah, you’re right about that.”

“Why don’t you tell us more about him, baby girl?” Pam asked.

“Umm, ok well…let’s see…His name’s Declan McCarthy.  He lives near his family in an area a little outside of town. We sort of…ran into each other one night, and ever since then we have been hanging out with each other.”

“Do you two see each other a lot?” Her mom asked.

“Pretty much.  We try to see each other at least once or twice a week and we talk to each other almost every day.”

“Well,” her mother gave her a knowing smile. “Seems to me like your relationship is a bit more serious then you let on.”

Cheyanne couldn’t stop the smile that formed on her face.  “Yeah,” she admitted. “We seem to be pretty serious about each other. At least, I think so.”

“Not too serious I hope.” Her dad stated. “How old is he?”

Cheyanne paused for a moment before answering. “Twenty-two.”

“Twenty-two!” 

Ah shit, here we go again.

“Donald.” Pam jumped in.

“Uh. No. Honey, that man is too old for-”

“Donald!” Pam fixed her husband with a hard stare that made him stop mid-sentence.

“Come on daddy.” Renee said. “Let the poor girl talk.”

Donald sighed before continuing. “Fine,” he grunted. “Did you two meet at school?”

“No, he doesn’t go to school.” Cheyanne said simply.

“Well then what does he do.”

“He and his cousin own a lawn grooming business.  Usually they mow lawns and trim people’s tree and bushes and stuff.  If you want to do any type of landscaping they’ll usually be the ones to do it.”

Her dad only nodded. “I see.”

She could tell her dad wasn’t too thrilled to hear that Declan wasn’t a student.

“But his main thing is cage fighting, like the kind you see on TV.  That’s really what he wants to do.  He plans on going pro one day.”

“Kind of like Rampage Jackson?” Aaron asked.

Cheyanne nodded. “Exactly.”

“Why doesn’t he go to school?” Her dad continued to press on.

“Um, well, with Declan’s family school isn’t really that big of a deal.” She shrugged.  “It’s just how they are.”

“Really?” This time it was her mom that asked the question.  Cheyanne could tell by the look on her mother’s face, on everyone’s face, that they were more than a little confused.

“Yeah,” Cheyanne said. “You see, Declan and his family aren’t exactly what you would call an average family.”

“Really? Then what would you call them?” Her dad asked.

“Well…they usually call themselves Irish Travelers.”

Everyone at the table continued to stare at her confused; except for Simone, who continued to happily nibble on her mac and cheese.

Taking a deep breath, Cheyanne straightened up in her chair and sighed.

“Gypsies.”

Everyone at the table noticeably stiffened. Cheyanne’s statement was met with silence.  She knew to expect this type of reaction from her family.  Gypsies in the states, or anywhere for that matter, weren’t exactly painted in the best light.  No one at the table knew how to respond to her statement.

“Wow,” Renee was the first to speak.  “Well that’s…ummm.”

“Different.” Their mother finished for Renee. “Not that anything’s wrong with different.” Pam quickly added.

“Nothing of yours has gone missing has it?” Aaron asked, causing Renee to pinch him in his side for asking such a stupid question.

“He hasn’t stolen anything Aaron, if that’s what you’re implying.” Cheyanne snapped at him.  “He’s been a complete gentleman.”

“Cheyanne, I’m sorry,” he said while rubbing his now bruised side. “I didn’t mean to-”

She raised her hand to wave off his apology. “It’s fine Aaron. You don’t have to explain.”

Off to the side she heard he niece ask. “What’s a gypsy?”

“Nothing, sweet heart.” Renee answered.

“Daddy?” Cheyanne looked over at her father, who had remained silent this whole time.

Donald had his hands clutched together and resting under his nose, staring intently at something on the table.  He didn’t acknowledge that he heard her.  Just remained quiet.

Cheyanne knew that he wasn’t fond of the idea of her dating anyone.  He had always been touchy when it came to the subject of boys, especially since she was his youngest.  But for whatever reason, she really wanted her father to accept that she was dating Declan, even though he wasn’t the typical guy her parents had imagined for her.  She wouldn’t know what to do if her father decided to forbid her from seeing him.

After a few more minutes of silence, Donald unclenched his hands and slowly turned his gaze back to his daughter. 

“Does this boy treat you well?” He said.

“Yes, daddy.” Her voice came out a little weaker then she had hoped.

“A perfect gentleman?” he pressed.

Cheyanne took a breath and straightened up. “Yes.” she said more confidently.

Donald slowly nodded his head. “Well then, that’s all that really matters.”

Cheyanne let out the breath she had taken and slumped back into her chair.  Looking around the table, she could tell that everyone else had visibly relaxed as well.  Nobody was expecting such a calm response from old Donald, Cheyanne especially.  But none of that mattered anymore.  A crisis had been averted; and having gotten past such a crisis, the Turner family continued to enjoy their dinner while avoiding any more stressful topics.

***********

“Oy, Declan, where ya go’in?”

“I’ll be back, Da. I jus’ got ta make a phone call.” Declan said over his shoulder as he headed for the front door of his parents small home.

“A’ight, well hurry up! Ya brot’er har is tryin’ on his new boxin’ mits and he wants ya to see.”

As if on cue, Patrick began jabbing at his imaginary opponent with the bright red boxing gloves Declan had gotten him for Christmas.

“Keep punching jus’ like that Patty.  I’ll be back in a second to give ya pointers.”  Opening the screen door, and then the outer door, Declan walked a few feet from the house and pulled out his phone.

He stared at his blank screen for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should try to call Cheyanne.  They had only spoken to each other maybe three or four times since she had left for the states, and only for a few brief moments.  Frequently, Declan would find himself in a never ending game of phone tag with her.  The time change didn’t really allow them to contact each other at the most opportune times. Plus, today was Christmas, and he doubted she would be able to pick up the phone. But he had to try.

Something she had told him had been wearing on his mind since the day she left.  All winter break he had taken her words to heart and he felt that now was the time to tell her.

Unlocking his phone he scrolled through his contacts until he came to her number.  Hitting the call button he pressed the phone to his ear.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

“Come on. Come one. Pick up…”

Ring. Ring. Ring.

“Come on baby…”

“Hello?”

He smiled.  “Hey there dove.”

“Hey!” She sounded happy.  “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas. How are you?”

“I’m good. We were all about to open our presents actually.”

“Oh, really-”

“Baby girl, who’s that you’re on the phone with?” Declan heard an older woman’s voice say in the back ground.

There was a bit of shuffling before he heard Cheyanne say. “I’m talking to Declan mom.”

“Well tell him you’ve got to call him back.” said a more manly voice. “You’re spending quality time with your family.”

He could hear Cheyanne laughing on the other end.  “Yes, daddy.”

There was another moment of shuffling before she spoke again.

“Sorry about that.”

“It’s no problem.” He said. “I can let you go if’n yar busy.”

That was stupid to say.  It was Christmas day.  Of course she’s busy!

“I can spare a few moments.”

He could almost hear the smile forming on her face. God he missed seeing those cute dimples.  It made him smile.

“How has your Christmas break been so far?” She asked. “Your family doing ok?”

“Oh, ya it’s been great.  Thar all do’in great.”

“Good.  Can you tell them Merry Christmas for me?”

“Uh…,” he looked over his shoulder to see if anyone in the house was eavesdropping. Not seeing anybody, he walked further form the door into the front lawn.

“Ya….Well, thar all sorda into thar toys and stuff.  It’s kinda hard to get thar attention right now.”

“Oh…,” the excitement in Cheyanne’s voice seemed to deflate just a bit.

“But I will tell them later.  I’m sure they’ll be happy to get the message.”

“Ok.” She said simply.

Ok, he needed to change the subject.

“Yar parents seemed nice.”

“Oh, yeah thanks.  They can be a bit nosey sometimes, but you can’t help but love them.”

“And I bet they love ya jus’ as much.” He said.

“They do, although they can be a bit over protective at times.  You should have seen my dad when he found out we were dating.”

“Oh,” he said a little surprised. “So I take it you told your parents about me?” He stated.

“Of course.” She said. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I jus…wasn’t sure if ya thought our relationship was that serious.”

“What’s so serious about telling my parents about you?” She asked. “It’s not as I were ever keeping you a secret.”

Now Declan really felt like shit.  This was not how he wanted this conversation to go.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Listen, I called ya because I have some’tin…important to say.”  If only he knew how to say it.  What he needed to get off his chest wasn’t exactly something he’d share with…anyone.

“I’m waiting.” Cheyanne said impatiently.

Declan took a big breath and opened his mouth.

“Rathkeale, Ireland….It’s where me and me family usually go ta far Christmas.  Me mom has some family out thar that we like to visit during the holidays.  It’s hard sometimes far us to reconnect since our people are usually traveling everywhere.  Christmas is one of those times where we get to see one another and catch up.”

He smiled as he recalled on old memories of the many Christmas’s he had spent there.  “It’s beautiful over thar.  Lots of wide open spaces and fresh air. My sister, Darcy, she always described it as a winter wonderland.  You wouldn’t believe how white the snow is.  Me and me cousins would love ta have snowball fights, but we nev’a wanted ta mess wit the perfection of da snow. So much of it goes untouched, and it’s jus amazing ta look at when the sun hits it jus right.” He paused to bask in the memory.




Traditions Ch. 05



HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!

Sorry about the late post, the world got in the way of my passion and my lovely characters. I was having alittle trouble trying to write this part of the story. I ended up having to cut this chapter in half. You'll get the other half as chapter six. For one thing, I couldn't let you guys wait any longer. That's just to much torture. It's the season of giving afterall. Plus I was having a little trouble writing the upcoming fight scene Declan is suppose to have. Tehehe. Hopefully since half of that chapter is already written it shouldn't take me too long. A week or two at the most. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy! 

*

Declan, Aidan, and Jimmy were packing up all of their equipment when Mrs. Fuller slowly walked out onto her small patio.

"Oh, look how good my lawn is. Looks just like spring time." The elderly woman shook her head as she wrapped her shawl closer around her shoulders. "You boys have got a gift."

Declan and Aidan walked up. "We're jus' try ta make sure you're getting your money's worth, Mrs. Fuller." Aidan said.

"Well, you boys certainly did wonders on my yard." Looking around, Mrs. Fuller admired the boys work. They had shoveled out all the snow in her drive way and on her cross walk, and removed any dead plants that were dirtying the otherwise perfect white snow. Her lawn didn't exactly look like spring time, but in this weather, it was close enough. She handed both boys there checks. "I can't thank you enough."

"Well ya could start by head'in back inside." Declan said as he led her towards her front door. "It's still pretty cold out here. I wouldn't want our favorite customer to get the flu."

"Oh you boys are so nice." A small blush rose in her wrinkled cheeks and she brushed back a few strands of grey hair. "It's amazing that none of you have a little lady yet."

"Oh many have tried!" Jimmy yelled while packing more stuff into the truck.

"And failed." Aidan finished.

Declan merely shrugged at his cousin's comments. Mrs. Fuller didn't fail to notice.

"Oh, it seems that our Declan here doesn't agree with you two." She gave him a knowing smile. "Has someone special caught your eye? Hmm."

"It's chilly out here. You should really head back inside now." Declan continued to usher Mrs. Fuller to the door.

"Are you getting her anything special for Valentine's Day?" She continued to press. "Get her jewelry. Women always love jewelry."

"I'll keep dat in mind." He said quickly. Looking over his shoulder, he could see both of his cousins were giving him funny looks.

"My husband always got me jewelry. But the best gift my late husband gave me was a hand carved burette that I used to pull back my hair whenever I cooked him his favorite meals."

Damn it. If the old lady would move faster.

"Mrs. Fuller, you really should head back inside." He urged her.

"Oh all right," Mrs. Fuller slowly began to shuffle her way through the door. "But only because you keep insisting on it. I don't know why you young folks keep treating me like I'm fragile."

Declan gave her a small reassuring smile. "We just want ta make sure our favorite customer stays around ta keep paying us."

She only laughed at his joke. "You young boys have a good day."

"Good day Mrs. Fuller." Declan didn't wait for her to shut the door. He stepped off the patio and quickly headed towards his car. Aidan looked at him with a confused face and was about to say something when Declan fixed him with a stern look.

"Not a damn word."

Once everything was packed and ready to go, everyone jumped into the front of the truck and buckled themselves in. Just as Declan was putting the keys into the ignition, Mrs. Fuller opened the front door and leaned out.

"Don't forget what I said. Women love jewelry." She gave a small wave before heading back inside.

Declan didn't waste any time backing out of her driveway and heading onto the road. He didn't fail to notice that both of his cousins were giving him strange looks. They had both been there when Mrs. Fuller all but accused him of being in a relationship, and they were probably waiting for him to give some sort of explanation. Well...he didn't have one. He didn't have to explain himself to either of them. His relationship with Cheyanne was his business. It didn't concern them.

The silence in the truck was causing tension to build amongst the three boys. In an attempt to make the car ride less uncomfortable, Declan turned on the radio. For a few moments, the music worked on calming his nerves; that is until he realized the song that was playing was a popular love ballad that they had been playing since the beginning of February. 

Damn lovey dovey holiday.

After about five minutes, Aidan leaned over and shut off the radio.

"Ok, what the hell is go'in on?"

"What are ya talk'in about?" Declan countered.

Aidan scoffed. "Don't play dumb wit me mate." He turned in his seat to look at his cousin more directly. "What was Mrs. Fuller go'in on about back thar?"

Declan merely shook his head. "No'ting."

"That wasn't no'ting, Dec."

"Yeah," Jimmy joined in. "It was weird how she was go'in on about jewelry and girls and stuff. Why was she telling you all that, Dec?"

He didn't answer. 

Aidan intently stared at his cousin before something finally clicked.

"I 'tink our cousin might be hiding some'ting from us Jimmy." He gave a cheesy smiled. "Some'ting important."

Shit.

A little too excitedly, Jimmy jumped up from his seat to look at his cousin over his brother's shoulder. "Hiding what?"

Damn it.

When Declan visibly tensed in his seat, Aidan knew his suspicions were correct.

"Declan's got himself a girlfriend."

Fuck.

"What!" Jimmy practically yelled in Aidan's ear. "You've got to be kidding me. Declan wit a girlfriend?" He laughed. "I can hear wedding bells already."

"Shut up." Declan scolded.

"Come on mate, who is she?" Aidan asked.

By this time they had already pulled up into their trailer plot. As quickly as he could, Declan shut off the engine and snatched the keys out of the ignition. Kicking open his door, he ignored his cousin's pestering questions, and instead headed towards his caravan. His cousins always seemed to know just what to say to piss him the fuck off. Any other time he would be able to deal with it. But right now he didn't have the time or the patience. He had to go pick up Cheyanne soon, and he wanted to take a shower and changed before seeing her.

Walking up to his home, key in hand, Declan went to unlock the door. Unfortunately, he was so pissed off that he fumbled his keys while putting in the lock and dropped them. He tried to recover them quickly but by the time he grabbed them and unlocked the door his cousins were right behind him.

"What's the big deal, Dec?" Aidan asked him. "She's just a girl, not some big government secret."

"Yeah, Dec," Jimmy chimed in. "Your act'ing as if some'ting is wrong wit her."

At that last comment, Declan snapped around and looked down at both of them. "Tha's none of your business."

Aidan almost felt the need to jump back. He didn't know what had gotten into his cousin. "Stop being so defensive, will ya. What is it about this girl that's got you on edge that you can't even tell us who she..." Aiden lost all train of thought. He and Declan were so close growing up that they might as well have been brothers. Aidan knew Declan's personality and mannerisms. He could be a proud bastard when he wanted to be. If Declan was dating somebody, he'd definitely be the one to gloat about it. He'd be talking about how great she is, how smoking hot and clean she is, and how she was the perfect Traveling girl. But he wasn't saying any of those things. He wouldn't even say her name.

"Who is she, Dec?" Aidan asked in a forced whisper.

Declan could tell his cousin wasn't in a playing mood anymore. Which means he must have connected the dots somehow.

"Aidan..."

"Who is she, Declan?" He asked again. Taking a moment to think back on the last couple of months, Aidan tried to think of anyone that Declan could have been involved with. As far as he knew, there wasn't anyone Declan had hooked up with since that night at the disco.

Oh. Fucking. Shit.

"Are you wit that girl from the club?"

Aidan didn't fail to notice when Declan went stiff.

"What girl from the disco?" Jimmy asked.

Declan and Aidan had completely forgotten that he was there. They were too busy having their own personal stare down to notice.

"Go home, Jimmy, tell ma I'll be there in a few."

"Ahh," Jimmy whined. "Why can't I stay?"

"Because me and Declan have something...important...to talk about." Aidan fixed his little brother with a hard glare that Jimmy knew meant business.

With one last grunt, Jimmy turned and headed to their house, dragging his feet all the way there. As soon as he was out of ear shot, Aidan turned and looked at his cousin and sighed. The two of them had been through so much together. Both had been there when their houses had been torn down and they had been forced to move. They shared so much together, and told each other everything. At least, he thought they shared everything.

Declan could tell by the look on Aidan's face that he was more than pissed off. His facial expression spoke volumes. He didn't just feel angry, he felt betrayed. 

Stepping aside, he swept his arm out in welcome. "Come on. There's some stuff I got to talk to you about."

"Damn right you do." With that Aidan walked up the steps and into Declan's small home.

Looking around, Aidan had to admit that his cousin picked out a nice place for himself. At the moment, the two of them were standing in the kitchenette area. It was fully stocked, with a fridge, dishwasher, small stove and oven, and a sink. Off to one side of the caravan, a master bedroom was separated from the rest of the area by small bathroom. On the opposite side there was a small sitting area with a table. Overall the trailer was one of the best Aidan has seen, with a little bit of space for someone to move around comfortably in.

"I don't tink I ever toll d'ya how much I liked yar place." Aidan mentioned.

"Oh," Declan nodded his head and closed the front door. "Uh thanks."

"It's a bit big though don't ya tink?"

"Probably." He smiled a bit. "My dad actually said da same ting a while back. He thought I bought it because I'd finally found a woman to settle down wit."

"So he knows?"

Declan's small smile dissolved away. "No, he doesn't. No one does."

Aidan's frustration only peaked further. "Dec...What da hell are ya doing here, mate? Tell me because I'm at a loss. I mean," he paused a moment to run his fingers through his hair, "you were always da on ta say dat it would be a mistake to get involved wit country folks. You use to say that all they ever want ta do is hurt us, an dat they'll never respect us."

"I know what I fucking said."

"Then what are ya doing wit dis girl?"

"Honestly...I haven't got a clue." He shook his head. "Things are just different wit her. She's different."

Aidan was thoroughly confused now. "What do ya mean?"

What did he mean 'what do ya mean'? How else could he possibly explain it? Aidan knew he wasn't exactly the sentimental, emotional type. He barely even understood his own feelings for Cheyanne. So how the hell was he supposed to explain his feelings to his cousin? 

Declan stepped over and leaned back on the counter next to his cousin. "None of the traveling girls 'round here have been able to peak my interest lately. I walk outside, and I see dem all, and they all just look da same ta me. But Cheyanne, she's not like da others. And I like dat. I like the way she dresses, and the way she walks. I like the way she talks. The way she talks back..."

"Wait," Aidan had to interrupt. "Ya let her talk back ta ya?"

Declan shook his head and waved off his cousin. "No, not like dat. It's not like she's questioning mi manhood or any'ting like dat. It's more like she's challenging me; making me wonder what kinda man I want ta be."

He turned to his cousin. "I guess in a way, she's making me feel more like a man. And I really like being dat man for her. I know it probably doesn't make sense ta ya but...no woman has ever made me feel that way, and I like dat she does."

Aidan looked at the foreign emotion covering his cousin's face. Now this was something he'd never thought would happen in a million years. Not to Declan, anyway. After all these years, his cousin had finally fallen for a girl. Hard. And for a country girl no less.

"Ya love her?"

Declan's head snapped up. "What! No. No...I don't know."

"Well judging by da way ya go on about her, it sound to me like ya already know da answer." Aidan wiggled his eyebrows and gave Declan a knowing smirk.

"Well if I did," Declan jokingly shoved Aidan on the shoulder before passing him to get to his room, "I certainly wouldn't tell you."

"Aww," Aidan pretended to make a pouty face. "Come on mate. Why not?"

Declan stripped off his jacket. "Cause you'd tell." He spoke over his shoulder. "And I don'a want ya to ruin mi reputation as an ass kicker."

That comment caused Aidan to let out a snort. "What reputation?"

Declan raised his eyebrow at his cousin. The look was clearly meant as a warning, thought it didn't really phase Aidan. He just kept giving Declan a cheesy grin. Noticing the time flashing in neon colors in his microwave, Declan cursed under his breath.

"Great. Now I'm late picking up Cheyanne." He quickly pulled off his shirt. "If'n she's late getting ta work, I'm blaming you."

"Ya drive her ta work?" Aidan was curious about that.

Declan gave Aidan a quick nod before walking into the bathroom and turning on the shower. "Almost every day, if I can."

A light bulb went off in Aidan's head. "So dat's where ya've been running off ta in da afternoons." 

Declan was rummaging through his drawers looking for clean clothes when he replied. "I didn't t'ink you'd notice."

Aidan shrugged. "I just always thought ya were still practicing at da gym or some'ting. Yar mom is the one dat's been taking notice."

That caused Declan to pause in his movements. Standing up slowly from the pile of clothes he'd collected on the floor, he cautiously walked back into the main area.

"Mi mom?"

Aidan nodded. "Ya can't blame her for noticing t'ings like dat. She's yar mom. It's her job ta worry about ya."

A small aching feeling began to form in the pit of Declan's stomach. He hadn't meant to worry his mother. He honestly didn't even think his absence would bother anybody. Apparently he was wrong.

"She just wants ta know where ya've been." Aidan said. "Ya have got ta tell them soon. If yar serious about dis girl, then it shouldn't have taken dis long for ya tell tell dem."

Well damn. Cheyanne had been urging him to do the same thing for the past few weeks. Now his cousin was riding his ass about it.

"I will. Trust me. I'm just waiting for da right moment is all."

Aidan stared at him for a good moment before shrugging. "Ok."

"Good." Declan turned back and headed towards the small bathroom. The water would be warm by now.

"Now if'n ya don'a mind, I need ta be getting ready." He turned back and stared at his cousin, who had yet to move from his spot in the kitchen. "Ya plan on seeing me naked?"

Aidan raised his hands in defense and took two steps back.

"Dat's what I thought." Declan said. "Now unless ya intend ta be washing behind mi balls, I suggest ya get out of mi house."

Aidan laughed but relented. "Fine. Fine. I'll just be outside waiting for ya."

That caught Declan's attention. "What do ya mean?"

Aidan was by the front door when he answered. "Well I thought I'd got wit ya to pick up Cheyanne."

The hell he was.

"Oh no. Ya are not going wit me."

"Dec, come on. She's got to meet da family sometime. Might as well start wit me." And with that Aidan walked out if the trailer without waiting for Declan's reply.

Declan couldn't do anything else but grunt and return to his hot shower. As much as he hated it, his cousin had made a good point. Cheyanne had been wanting to meet his family. Better it was Aidan then someone else.

****

Cheyanne was just putting on her shoes when her phone got a text.

Hey dove. I'm outside.

She typed back. Ok, be down in a sec.

Grabbing her purse she quickly scanned her room to make she sure hadn't forgotten anything. Satisfied, she stepped out of her dorm and walked down the hall towards the stairs. She was a few flights own when her phone buzzed again.

Be prepared. I got a friend wit me.

Cheyanne stopped mid step. A friend? What kind of friend? Declan had never bothered to introduce her to anybody before. Now here he is showing up with someone just out of the blue. That was just so unlike him. There must be something special about this person. 

Cheyanne silently scolded herself. Why the heck was she complaining? Hadn't she been urging him to introduce her to some of his people? Why was she acting all paranoid?

Because you're afraid of making a fool of yourself, she inwardly thought. His family was very traditional, and she feared she wouldn't be able to meet his family's expectations. Normally things like that wouldn't matter to her. For the better part of her life, she didn't care what people thought about her. But this was different. Declan was special to her, and she didn't want to ruin her chances with him.

Finally reaching the bottom level, Cheyanne took a deep breath before pushing open the exit door and walking outside.

The winter air was frigid, and she still hadn't quite gotten use to the temperature change. She wrapped her jacket covered arms around her, hoping to conserve some warm. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light, but once she did, she quickly noticed Declan parked in his normal spot. And he wasn't alone.

The guy standing next to Declan was definitely tall, but not as tall as him. Even though he was mostly covered by his jacket, she could tell he was well built. The two men together was an intimidating sight. Cheyanne slowed down a bit as she walked closer to them.

When she was close enough, Declan smiled down at her and leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey there, dove."

"Hey you." She smiled pleasantly back up at him, all the while still aware of the man standing just a few feet off to the side.

Declan gave her a quick once over. "Ya look nice."

"Thanks." She said softly.

The conversation pretty much died after that. Each person was hyper aware of the other as they stood together in a stiff circle. Cheyanne was clearly a little hesitant around Aidan, and Declan was at a loss as to what to do about it. Aidan, the only relaxed person in the group, observed the young couple.

God, the thought. There both clueless. Their definitely perfect for each

Removing his hand from his pocket, Aidan extended it towards Cheyanne.

"Hi, I'm Aidan. Declan's good looking cousin."

The joke invoked a small laugh from Cheyanne. Now that she was standing in front of them, upon closer inspection, she could see a few similarities between the two men. They both seemed to have the same build. Both had the same broad shoulders, and they both shared the same forehead.

Cheyanne gave Aidan's hand a good shake before letting go. "It' nice to meet you. I'm Chey-"

"Oh, I know who ya are." He switched his gaze over to Declan. "Yar the girl Dec has been sneaking 'round wit."

Declan visibly tensed. "Aidan." He warned.

Aidan ignored him. "Ya must be pretty special." He continued. "Declan usually doesn't waste his time on most girls. He's more of a grab and go type a guy."

"Aidan!"

"What? I'm just making sure yar girl here knows what she's getting herself into."

Cheyanne decided to play along. "Any jilted lovers I should be worried about?"




Traditions Ch. 05



"Oh, quite a few." Aidan joked. "I'd sleep wit one eye open if I was ya."

Cheyanne smiled. "Duly noted."

Declan grunted and took hold of her hand. "Don't encourage him, Cheyanne. He'll only screw wit ya later."

The trio all piled into the truck with Cheyanne in the middle. Declan didn't waste any time getting on the road. He was more than uncomfortable having Aidan in the car with Cheyanne. 

"So mi cousin tells me ya came from America."

"Like you couldn't tell." Declan huffed under his breath.

Aidan ignored him. "Where from?"

"Texas."

"So how do ya like living across da pond?"

"It took some getting used to, I guess." She gave sideways glance to Declan. "But it grew on me."

"How has my cousin been treating you right?"

Cheyanne smiled and nodded her head. "He's been a complete gentleman."

Declan gently squeezed her thigh in appreciation.

"Gentleman?" Aidan snorted. "Really? I would have though he would have tried ta shag ya by now."

That comment earned him a smack in the face.

"Ah!" Aidan tried to rub away the pain on his forehead. "Damn, Declan."

Declan returned his hand to its resting place by Cheyanne's knee. His cousin deserved more than a slap for that comment. 

"Dec, why'd you go and do that?" Cheyanne turned and removed Aidan's hand to see the red mark begin to form on his forehead. "He was just joking."

The hell he was. Declan knew what his cousin was doing. Aidan was fishing for information. Most gypsies were catholic, so sex before marriage was strictly forbidden. For most gypsy men, they had a bit more freedom to go out. It's made more than a few men to act a bit promiscuously. His cousin wanted to know if that had been the case in their relationship. Aidan wanted to know if sex had been the reason he and Cheyanne had lasted so long.

Well it wasn't, and it would never be. He would never disrespect a girl in such a way, especially Cheyanne.

"No no, it's ok." Aidan allowed Cheyanne to check him a bit more before lightly shrugging her off. "I'm used to being abused by him." 

Cheyanne turned and softly punched Declan on the shoulder. "You're such a bully sometimes."

"Me!" Declan was appalled. 

Aidan was laughing his ass off in the passenger seat.

The conversation mellowed out after that. Aidan and Cheyanne seemed to get along pretty well, which made Declan feel a whole lot better. As usual, the drive to Cheyanne's café didn't take long, and Declan managed to park a few feet from the entrance.

"So this is where you work?" Aidan asked as they stepped out of the truck.

"Yup, this is it." She answered.

"Hmm," Aidan eyed the place before looking back down at her. "And you like it? Working here that is?"

Cheyanne shrugged. "It's nice enough. They don't run me ragged, and they were nice enough to give me a schedule that worked around my classes."

Aidan looked a little skeptical.

Cheyanne notice the look. "What?" She inquired.

He just shrugged. "No'ting. Just not use to seeing a girl work is all."

That's when Declan decided to jump in. "What he means is, most girls we know don't work. It's usually the man's job to bring in the money."

"Oh, well I find it rather rewarding to be able to spend your own money." She turned back to Aidan. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Aidan consented and nodded his head. "Can't argue wit dat. But ya might want ta take some time off on Saturday."

Declan gave his cousin a withering look.

Cheyanne quirked an eyebrow. "Umm, why do I need to take off?"

"Oh," Aidan continued while ignoring Declan's dirty looks. "Declan's semi-final match for the Cage Warriors Championship is this Saturday?"

"Really?" Cheyanne's voice got a bit sharp. "He didn't tell me that."

Aidan gave her a confused look. "Didn't you know that he fought?"

"Oh no. I knew. I just didn't know when his big match was coming up." She turned and gave Declan a pat on the back that had a little more force then was friendly.

Oh yeah. She was pissed.

Declan could kill his cousin.

"Well I should be getting in." Cheyanne walked up to Aidan and gave him a hug, which he readily accepted. "I hope to see you soon."

"Like wise." Aidan spoke before breaking away.

Cheyanne gave him one last smile before turning to Declan. That smile quickly fell. She quirked her eyebrow up at him.

"We'll talk later." With that she walked off.

No kiss, no hug, and no thanks for him. The cards were just not working in his favor today.

Off to the side, Aidan let out a long whistle. "Wooo, dat is some girl you've got mate."

"That better be a compliment." Declan grumbled.

"It is." Aidan inclined his head in the direction Cheyanne had left. "She's good for ya Dec."

Declan turned his head and gazed at Cheyanne's retreating form. He admired the way her hips swung as she took each step. What a woman he had.

Declan enjoyed hovering in the moment, before his cousin brought him crashing down.

"So why didn't you tell her about yar match?"

Declan turned and gave his cousin a hard glare. "Yar a fucking prick, ya know dat?"

Aidan raised his hands in defense. "What?" He gave Declan a confused look as he walked by to get to the truck. "Wha'd I say?"

Declan jumped into the cab and slammed the door. "Asshole." He cursed under his breath. He waited until Aidan was buckled into his seat before laying in on him. "Why'd ya have ta go and mention the tournament?"

"Why is dat such a big deal? I thought she knew you fought?"

"Yeah she does. She know..."

"Then what's the big deal?"

Declan let out a reluctant sigh. Cats out of the bag now.

"Cheyanne has actually never been to one of my matches."

Not fully understanding the connection, Aidan just nodded his head. "Ok."

"And whenever one of mi matches was coming up, I just tol' her dat they were pretty small and not worth going ta. She'd take da excuse and not complain about it."

Still confused, Aidan continued to nod his head.

Declan could tell Aidan wasn't getting it, but he continued talking anyway in the hopes that his mentally challenged cousin would make the connections.

"Anyway, dis time it's different. Cheyanne knows that dis Warriors match is wha' I've been working towards. She's not go'in ta except some excuse I've made about how unimportant it is. She's go'in ta want ta be there."

"But you never even told her when it was."

"No, that's not true. I've told her before dat it was coming up soon."

"Yeah, but ya never tol' her the exact date, Dec. Why?"

Declan clenched his jaw. "For the same reason I didn't want her at the other matches."

Aidan jus continued to stare at him from across the cab, waiting for Declan to explain himself.

Oh for fucks sake.

"Come on Aidan. You know mi family likes ta come ta my fights."

"Are you serious? Dat's why you've never tol' her. Because of your parents?" Aidan scoffed and leaned back in his seat. "Ya know, you've seriously taken this whole secret relationship thing to a whole new level."

"Oh, screw you Aidan."

"I just wan'ta know how you've managed ta keep your parents in the dark so long."

Declan turned the car on and pulled out into traffic. "You'd be surprised how easy it is."

"You're just making t'ings worse for yourself."

"No, I'm trying to make t'ing easier for her."

"How?"

"Oh, come on." Declan raised his voice a bit. "You and I both know dat my parents would flip if they found out I was dating Cheyanne. They don'a exactly hide how they feel about non travelers. How do you t'ink they'll react when I tell them?"

"So you t'ink that avoiding the subject and delaying their meeting is going to help?"

"No...just, no." Declan huffed in frustration. "I'm just trying to find the right time to tell my parents. Then once enough time has passed, and they've cooled off a bit, I'll introduce them to Cheyanne."

"And you really t'ink that's going ta work?" The look Aidan was giving Declan showed that he didn't think his plan would work.

But Declan chose to ignore it. In his mind, his plan worked out perfectly. It has too, he thought. It just has too.

****** 

Declan had spent the last few hours at the gym after he dropped off Aidan at home. He needed to get his last few work outs in before his match Saturday. In three days' time he'd be in the ring fighting for his chance to make it to the finals. He needed to be at his best. Today, however, he was off his game. Right now he was sparing with another fighter and he wasn't doing well.

"Come on Declan!" Fergus coached him from the side of the ring. "Watch your footing. Cover your left shoulder." Declan caught that bit of advice to late.

"Umff." Damn. That was the second time he's taken a hit to his side.

"Okay, that's enough for today." Fergus climbed up into the ring and patted both boys on the back. "You boys did well today."

Fergus was being nice. Declan knew how bad he was doing. Shaking his head, he turned from the others and walked to his corner of the practice ring to grab his towel and water bottle. He took a few sips before pouring some of the water in his hands to rub on his face and neck. The cooling effects of the liquid helped his muscles relax. He went to reach for the towel that was hanging on the top rope when someone quickly snatched it off. 

"Rough day, McCarthy?" Jagger gave him a slippery smile as he twirled the towel in his hand. "Getting nervous about our fight on Saturday?"

Declan just rolled his eyes. "You wish."

"Your right. I do wish...that I had a more challenging competitor. They must not have had any more good fighters to pair me up with."

"Don'a flatter yourself, Jagger. Ya just be ready for da beating I'm going ta give ya."

Jagger only laughed as he threw the towel back and walked away. "Just make sure you're ready."

Oh no this fucker didn't. This joker did not just turn his back on him. Declan was already pissed off and this jerk was just pushing his buttons. He was tempted to jump out of the ring and go after him when he felt a hand in his shoulder. 

"Eh." Fergus turned him around and inclined his head towards his office. "Let's talk for a bit."

Declan sighed and followed him into the back office.

Fergus sat behind his clustered desk and extended his hand to the empty chair on the opposite side. "Sit down."

Declan complied and relaxed into the worn down leather chair. While he let his muscles unwind he took the moment to look around the room. Old trophies from Fergus's fighting days were mixed in with the new trophies won by a few of his old students. Medals of all kinds were hung up on the walls, and off to the far right in the corner was a cork boards covered in thank you letters and pictures. It was clear that, even though most people thought he was washed up, several people at some point in time had considered Fergus to be a great coach.

A soft clearing of the throat distracted Declan from his perusal of the wall.

Declan quickly moved his gaze back to Fergus. "Sorry." He apologized.

Fergus waved him off. "Your fine. I'm glad when someone takes a moment to look at these old paper weights."

Declan smiled at the small joke. "They're hardly paper weights."

"Maybe." Fergus shrugged his shoulders. "You're the only one that thinks so. No body round here even remembers that old Fergus use to train with the best of them."

"Well they will." Declan assured. "Once I make it past the semi-finals this Saturday."

"Yeah." Fergus leaned back in his chair. "That's actually what I wanted to talk about, son. What the hell was going on today, huh?"

All Declan could do was shake his head. "I don'a know. I've just had an off day today. There are t'ings on my mind dat are kind of weighing on me and I guess it just got da better of me." The statement wasn't a complete lie. Thoughts of Cheyanne had been weighing on his mind ever since he and Aidan left the café earlier that day. He knew that she wasn't too happy when she heard about his upcoming Warriors match. Internally, he had been trying to think of ways to approach the subject when he picked her up that tonight. He wasn't about to tell Fergus that though.

Fergus rubbed his gruffy chin and thought for a moment. "Does that have anything to do with the fact that your opponent is Jagger?"

Declan had to refrain from rolling his eyes. About a week ago, match ups for the semi-finals were finally announced and Declan was surprised to find out that his opponent would be the asshole who'd been talking smack for the past year. With all the other fighters that qualified for the semi-finals, he was paired with Jagger. Declan wasn't exactly upset. In fact, he was actually happy that he'd been given a chance to kick the loser's ass. He had just wished he had been paired with someone that would actually have been real competition. 

"No. Dat prick is definitely not da reason. Like I said I just have a lot on mi mind."

"Well you can't let things like that mess with your head, especially this Saturday."

"I know dat sir."

"Everything you've worked toward this year, all the beatings, all the black eyes will be worth it when you're in that in that ring this weekend. But you have got to keep your head together. So whatever it is that's weighing on you right now, you need to deal with it. Make sure it's not a factor come time for your match." Fergus tilted his head and gave him a look. "Do you understand what I'm saying?'

"Yes sir, I do." Declan understood that this match wasn't just important to his career. It was important to Fergus's as well. In the past few years, Fergus had been unable to dish out any championship fighters. Any good students that he had were usually persuaded to work with other trainers. Declan had several more years to make a name for himself. For Fergus, this could be his last shot before retirement. Declan didn't want to ruin that chance for him.

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, Declan noted the time. He needed to be ready to pick up Cheyanne in a few. 

Fergus noticed his gaze and twitchy behavior. "Got somewhere you need to be McCarthy?"

Declan snapped his attention back to the man across from him. "I'm sorry sir?"

"I said, do you need to be somewhere?"

"Uh, sir...Actually I do. I apologize, but I promised to pick up someone after training."

Fergus stared at him for a moment before consenting and nodding his head. "Okay. Well don't let me stop you." He waved his hand and dismissed him.

He had opened the door and stepped on foot in the entry way when Fergus called him back.

"McCarthy."

Declan turned and looked back at the older man. "Yeah."

"Make sure you handle whatever's bothering you."

Declan hesitated before nodding his head and walking out of the office. Heading to the locker room for a shower, Declan took what his cousin and Fergus had been saying to heart. He needed to address his issues with Cheyanne, and he needed to address them tonight when he picked her up from work. He didn't need this weighing on his mind. With the match this Saturday, he needed to have a clear head. 

Thirty minutes later, Declan pulled up in front of the small café. Taking a moment to lean his head in the head rest, he turned his gaze to look through the big open window of the small restaurant. Declan had a clear view of Cheyanne, and he could see that she was getting ready to leave, or rather people were trying to get her to leave. Cheyanne was busy wiping down a few tables while the other waitress, Ginger, was trying to shoo her out. After a few seconds Ginger was able to snatch the small rage Cheyanne was using to clean, and pushed her towards the front door. Laughing, Cheyanne consented and started taking off her small waiters' apron as she headed toward the front counter. For a moment, Declan smiled as he watched her shuffle around the café. Then he remembered the hard conversation he was planning on having with her, and his smile quickly faded.

Turning his head away from the café, Declan let out a long sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. God he was already regretting some of the things he was about to say to her. Maybe telling was a bad idea. He couldn't do this right now.

Cheyanne waved at her coworkers and told them goodnight before walking out of the door. When she turned she saw Declan slowly making his way out of the truck and over to her. The smile that she had been sporting quickly disappeared. Thoughts of their earlier conversation were fluttering through her mind. When Aidan had mentioned that Declan's Warriors match was this Saturday, it kind of surprised her. This had been the match he'd been training for over the past few months. There were days where Cheyanne couldn't get him to stop talking about it. So why didn't he tell her that his fight was this weekend? She'd find out.

As he took the last steps over to her, Declan didn't fail to notice when her happy smile fell away. He was smart enough to know that her change in attitude was because of him.

"Hey." He said.

"Hey."

"How was work?" He asked.

She shrugged. "It was fine."

"Good." He inclined his head towards the car. "Let's get ya in da car and out of this cold. There's a few t'ings I kind of want ta talk to ya about."

She huffed and slowly sauntered to her side of the car. In quick choppy movements, Cheyanne opened the door, got in, buckled herself and shut the door. Gripping onto the door handle, Declan had to take a deep breath. She was clearly still miffed about their earlier conversation. More than anything, he needed her to be understanding. Sending up a silent prayer, Declan opened his door and got in the truck. Once they were both buckled in, he safely pulled them out into traffic. The silence between them was starting to build a low tension in the cab. Looking at her from across the seat, Declan noticed the way Cheyanne's knee continued to bounce up and down as she stared out the window.

"Are ya planning on sending a Morse code message wit that knee of yours?"

Declan's comment caught her off guard for a moment. "What?"

Declan placed his palm on her knee and gently squeezed it to stop her movement. "You're starting ta shake da car."

"Oh," she sighed. "Sorry."

He rubbed her thigh. "It's fine." Squeezing her leg one more time, he removed his hand and placed it back on the steering wheel. "Are you nervous about something?"

She looked at him for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I'm just...wondering. Thinking, I guess."

He paused for a moment before asking. "About what?"

As if he didn't know. Cheyanne needed to relax a bit. Over the past few months, they had been working on being more open with each other. Declan had been doing great up to this point. She just needed to relax and keep on open mind. There had to be a good reason why he was keeping secrets again.

"I just was wondering...why you never told me your fight was this Saturday."

Cheyanne didn't fail to notice when he jaw tensed.

"I just...I...thought I already told you."

Cheyanne just stared at him. "Really?"

He nodded his head. "Really."

She continued to stare at the side of his head. Cheyanne didn't like that he refused to look at her. From where he was sitting, Declan could practically feel the soul searching look she was giving him. When she didn't respond after a few minutes, he assumed that she had taken the excuse he gave her.

Cheyanne waited a few minutes more before nodding her head and turning away. "Okay."

Declan wasn't quite sure if he heard correctly. "What?"

"Okay." She said. "Pull over."

"Why?" he inquired.

"Because I think you lying to me."

He snapped his head and gave her a look. "Are ya serious?"

"Yes." She gave him a quick look to show him she meant business. "Pull over."

Declan looked at her a second longer before shaking his head and cussing under his breath. It took him a moment to find a place to pull over but he was able to find one. He quickly turned the car off, yanked the keys out, and leaned back in his seat.




Traditions Ch. 05



"Okay. We're pulled over. Can ya tell me why you t'ink I'm lying?"

She just shrugged. "Can you tell me why I would be suspicious?"

He threw his hands up. "What da hell are ya talking about?"

Cheyanne crossed her arms. "Oh come on. You don't really expect me to believe that sorry excuse of yours, do you? You've been pumping up for this match for the past few months and you expect me to believe that you just forgot to mention it to me? You can't possibly think I'm that dumb."

Declan just looked straight ahead through the windshield, staring at nothing in particular. His woman was questioning him and he wasn't too happy about it. She was asking questions about a subject he refused to talk about. Any other time, he'd be willing to let her express her concerns. But today was not one of those days.

Cheyanne didn't understand why he refused to say anything. He just sat there, staring out the window.

"Are you going to say anything?"

"No." he stated.

"Why not?"

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Because ya don'a want me ta answer."

"Oh, I don't?"

"No," he dropped his hand and turned to her. "Ya don't. And if'n ya keep asking me, you're going ta regret the answer I give ya. So stop asking."

He was staring her down now, but Cheyanne refused to back off.

"Just tell me the truth and I'll let it go." She said. "Just tell me why you didn't tell me about your match. Did you not want me there or something?"

Declan had just about enough of her endless pestering. She had no right to question his motives or his reasoning. Amongst his people, women knew not to question a man's motives. A man was the bread winner at home, and a girl knew better than to bite the hand that fed her. Granted, Cheyanne's independent nature was something he loved about her. But she was meddling into things that needed to be addressed at a better time. He couldn't deal with the match, his family, and her ferocious curiosity all at once. Right now, she should just trust that he had a good reason for what he did. But if she wanted to know so badly, then fine. He'd put her in her place.

"No."

Cheyanne immediately straightened up in her chair. Did she hear him correctly? His voice was so low that maybe she misheard him.

"What?" She asked.

"No." This time the word was said more firmly. "I don't want you there."

There it was. The simple truth. Just a few words made up that sentence, and yet it was that small admission that made Cheyanne feel so...what? Inadequate. Unimportant.

Hurt. Unbelievably hurt.

A small lump had formed in her throat, but she swallowed it down. She wasn't going to break at this simple truth. Hearing it hurt, but it only sparked a few more questions she wanted answered.

"So, all those other competitions you've had, all those other matches...you didn't want me at those either?"

He didn't hesitate. "No."

"Why?"

This time he remained silent. He had turned away from her again and his gaze was grinding his teeth. It was causing the muscles in his jaw to flex and tense up. He was angry. But what the hell for? If anyone should be angry or upset, it should be her.

"Why, Declan?"

Silence.

"Why!"

"Damn it!" He yelled. "Because I didn't want you to see my parents there."

Now that shocked her. His parents. That's what this was about. They were sitting there, in his truck, having possibly their biggest fight, all because he didn't want her and his parents to have a meet and greet. What the hell!

"Are you serious?"

"God, wha' did ya expect me ta say, Cheyanne?" He huffed. "I mean, what do ya t'ink would happen if mi parents saw me walk in with ya, huh?"

Cheyanne could only open and close her mouth. Declan didn't give her a chance to form words.

"They'd be furious. Looking at me like I was crazy. Knowing mi dad, he probably wouldn't even give me a chance ta spit out your name. Ta him, our cultures and beliefs are at opposite ends of da spectrum. Ya might as well be and alien. To them, I'm a gypsy and you're a traveler. That's all dey'll ever see and dey'll never get past it."

A pregnant pause built between the two of them. Cheyanne thought it hurt when Declan said he didn't want her at the match. That was something they could have moved on from. But this...this was different. She had reasoned that his parents would not be too keen on the idea that there son was dating someone outside of their community. But she figured that once they got to know her, they'd be okay with it. Every significant other has to go through a similar process with the parents at some time or another. But what Declan has said made it perfectly clear to her that might never happen. His family wouldn't accept her because she wasn't an Irish Traveler. This was about who she was. She couldn't change that. That simple fact just crushed her.

But if he didn't want her and his parents to meet then...

"Have you even told them about me?" She asked softly.

Declan shifted in his seat, and closed his eyes. Slowly he started to shake his head. "I was waiting for the right time."

Cheyanne could feel the area behind her eyes start to ache. Water started to build in the corner of her eyes, and she tried to blink back the tears but couldn't. Damn it, she couldn't cry right now. Quickly she wiped a few away. Cheyanne turned back in her seat before Declan could see the tears fall from her face. A small ache began to build in her chest. She was not going to let him see her cry. She would not give him the satisfaction. But damn...damn, did it hurt.

Declan had his eyes closed when he heard a faint sniffling sound from across the seat. That sound was like an alarm to him and he quickly whipped his head around to look at the woman across from him. She had just turned away from him, but Declan could clearly see the redness in her eyes. Cheyanne was trying to wipe away the stray tears, but he didn't fail to see them fall. She was crying, and he was the one responsible. Had he really been that big of an asshole? Declan knew he was the type of person, who if angered enough, could really lash out at people. He could say some really hurtful things when he wanted to. It pained him to know he lashed out at her like that.

Lifting his hand, he went to wipe at her tear stained face but thought better of it. Balling his hand into his fist he slammed it against the dash board before leaning his head back and running his hand through his dark hair.

"C-can you take me home now."

Declan turned his head just slightly to look at her from across the way. Her voice, all though loud enough to hear, sounded fragile. Her voice never sounded so weak.

He sighed. "Chey-"

"Can you just take me home...please."

He stared at her, hoping she'd turn and look at him. When she didn't, Declan merely nodded and stuck his key back in the ignition.

"Sure." Turning the key, he revved the car up and pulled back out onto the street. The normally short drive back to her dorm seemed like the longest ride of their lives. Neither of them spoke a word the entire time. When they pulled up in front of her building, Declan had expected her to make a quick getaway back to her room. Instead, she just sat there, her eyes staring straight ahead trained on nothing in particular.

Declan had never seen her look so downtrodden before. Her mood up to this point had always been light. That is, if you didn't count the moments where he would purposely annoy her. The drained, upset look on her face tore at him on the inside. He never meant to hurt her. Every choice he's made was for her. He only wanted to protect her from his families prejudice views. Once he was able to smooth things over with them, then he had planned to introduce them. Maybe he should have just told Cheyanne that in the first place. If he told her now...maybe she'd understand. She had always been understanding with him before. It was worth a shot. He didn't want her to walk out if the truck upset like this. They didn't need to be fighting right now. He needed things to be right with them. If he explained thing to her, maybe they could get past this.

"Cheyanne..." He turned to her to see if she was paying attention. A fraction like turn of her head was the only indication that she was listening. With a sigh, Declan chose to continue.

"I don'a want ya to t'ink dat I wasn't going to tell them about ya."

"Bullshit." She whispered.

He ignored the harsh word and continued. "Look, you're not some sorta dirty little secret or somet'ing. I'm not ashamed of ya or trying ta hide ya. My parents are just...God, mi whole family is pretty set in there ways about certain t'ings, okay. We haven't exactly been treated well by most non-travelers, and its kind of left a sour taste in their mouths."

Slowly he inched his hand over until his palm rested on one of hers. Surprisingly she didn't flinch away. That small acknowledgement on her part gave him some encouragement.

"When I finally introduce you, I want to make sure that when they see ya, they don'a see an outsider. I want them to see an amazing girl I've spent almost every day with. Want them to see the girl I..." He paused.

Loved?

"Care about." Somehow that particular choice of words didn't sit well with him. His vocal cords coiled at the phrase.

He gently squeezed her hand. "You're different than most girls, Chey. You're something special. I don'a want mi parents ta get in da middle t'ings and ruin what we got going for us."

Cheyanne had to hold back a snort. Didn't he realize that this whole situation with his parents was already driving a wedge between them?

"Cheyanne." Taking his hand from hers he placed it behind her neck and started to rub the area of skin beneath her hair, gently coaxing her to look at him. "Dove, please understand. I'm going ta tell them. It will just take a lot of coercing ta ware them down. That's why I was-"

"Waiting for the right moment." Cheyanne finished for him.

Declan nodded his head. "Exactly."

After a few moments Cheyanne finally turned to look at him. The look she was giving him wasn't a look of understanding though. This look told him that she wasn't going to be the least bit understanding about this.

"From what you've told me Declan, it seems to me like there never would have been a right time."

She looked at him for a second longer before shrugging away from his hand and opening the door.

"Goodnight." Grabbing her purse from off the floor she quickly jumped out of the truck and slammed the door.

Declan watched as she lightly sprinted to her dorm building. Not once did she look back. He waited until she had entered in through the exit door before he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. That last look she gave him just before she got out of the cab was burned into his brain. It was a look he was never going to forget. Her beautiful brown eyes had looked straight into his and the feelings behind them spoke volumes. In that one look she gave him, he knew that she wasn't angry with him or sad. No...she was disappointed. And the fact that he had disappointed her tore at him.

His grip on the steering wheel slowly tightened as his breathing started to increase. The short breaths he was taking were meant to be calming, but they were doing anything but. That image of Cheyanne burned behind his eyelids.

"Fuck!" He slammed his fist into the dash board. Never had he been so angry with himself. The urge to vent his anger was strong, and he took his frustrations out by abusing the inside of his car. Repeatedly he slammed his fist against the dash board yelling out a slew of cuss words with each hit. When he hand began to grow sore from hitting the hard surface, he laid a few hits to the head rest on the passenger's seat. 

"Fuck!" This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't what he wanted. How did this happen? When did his life get so complicated? Things were supposed to be simple. He was supposed to work, find a girl, get married, have a family, grow old and die. That's it. But that all got thrown out the window when Cheyanne walked into his life. She was a breath of a fresh air to him. She brought excitement into his life. Now what did he have.

Cheyanne had mad it perfectly clear that she was more than angry with him. Where did that leave their relationship? That thought scared him. He never had to think about things like that before.

Damn it!

Punching the inside of the car wasn't relieving his frustration. He needed a better outlet, and he'd get one this weekend. Saturday at the match, he would beat Jagger to a fucking pulp. By then a few days will have passed and hopefully Cheyanne will be more inclined to talk to him again.

Revving the car up, Declan took one last look up at her building before backing up and driving out into the street. Hopefully she'll be willing to talk to him.



Traditions Ch. 06



Ok so here is the chapter. Finally! I've had to submit and resubmit this thing over and over. BUT, it is finally here. I hope you enjoy. 

*

Declan stared at himself as he stood in front of the mirror. He was alone. The other few fighters that had been in the locker room had gone out into the hall to wait for their names to be called. Declan didn't mind being alone though. It gave him a moment to mentally prepare himself for what was to come. Listening to the hum of the overhead lights, Declan could feel himself go into a mental fog that usually meant his body was in the zone. Each and every muscle was toned, amped up and ready for battle. Flexing his hands, the muscles in his arms rippled underneath the skin. He was ready for this fight. This was the fight that he was waiting for. The Cage Warriors Fighting Championship. A whole year and he was finally going to be that much closer to gaining a championship title.

Then why did he feel like something was missing.

It probably had to do with...

No. No, he was not going to think about that right now. He wasn't going to think about...her. 

She had made herself very clear last Wednesday, and Declan still hadn't decided what to do now that their relationship was on pause. So he decided to do nothing. She was the one who ran out of the car that night and left him a mess. She was the one who made the decision to ignore him over the past couple of days. So she was going to be the one that decided there fate, and what ever happened after that happened. He wasn't going to worry about it anymore. He hadn't even though about it since that night. When he woke up the next day, he had shoved all those feelings aside and focused on the one thing that mattered to him. His championship fight.

And now here he was, in London, getting ready to kick his favorite jackass's butt. He was going to reveal in that victory, and the best part is he was going to be doing it with his family. 

The thought of his family brought a small smile to his face. The first smile he's had in the past few days. They had all driven five hours from Liverpool to London to come see his fight. Knowing that he had there support made him feel that much more confident. Without them, he didn't know if he would have kept on competing after his first failed attempted. But they had convinced him otherwise, and the still rooted for him now.

He had left the night before to get to London ahead of time. Before leaving, his dad had a small talk with him. 

"Now listen to me, son. I want ya ta know dat wha'ever happens in dat ring tomorrow, yar still mi son. Yar still apart of dis family and we love ya." Rapping his arm around Declan, he leaned in close. "I love ya. Ya understand."

Nodding his head, Declan brought his dad in for a more formal hug. "I know, da."

With one quick squeeze, Ducky pulled away. "Good." He leaned in a whispered. "And make sure ya fuck up da guy real good."

"With pleasure." Declan didn't even hesitate to answer.

"Good." Before turning from his son, Ducky made a quick comment. "Maybe wit his face so messed up, Darcy will stay away from him."

Thinking back on it, he doubted ruining Jagger's face would help. For whatever reason, his sister was hooked on the buffoon. Hopefully it wouldn't last long. One day soon, their dad was going to put his foot down and put an end to it. Something about that thought made Declan give a hollow laugh. Seemed like their dad was always in the middle of their relationship problems.

Declan shook his. Not now. He didn't need to think about that right now. Didn't need to dwell on it. He had to focus on one thing and one thing only. Winning.

Just then, Declan heard the door behind him open.

"McCarthy," Fergus quickly popped his head in. "You ready? Your match is up next." 

"Yeah." Declan gave a quick nod. "Jus let me put on mi hand wraps."

Picking up the long cotton strips of fabric, Declan carefully took one and wrapped his right hand up, going through his fingers and around his palm. Picking up the other one, he began wrapping the other hand in just the same manner.

"Here." Fergus came over and took the other hand wrap. "Let me help you with that."

"Thanks." Extending his hand palm up, Fergus quickly went to work wrapping his hand in the cotton material.

Fergus lifted his eyes to look at his student. "So how are you feeling?"

"Fine."

Fergus raised his eyebrows at that. "Just fine?"

Declan shrugged. "Yeah."

"You're not feeling," Fergus lifted his shoulders and shook his head, "I don't know, nervous or excited or..."

"I feel fine." Declan answered quickly.

Declan's calm demeanor confused Fergus. Usually his student would be a bit more excited about this. On most occasions, Declan would be doing small exercises before the match to keep from bouncing off the walls. Sure Declan always remained calm, but never this calm.

Fergus got to the end of the cotton strip and quickly tucked it and tied it off. Slapping Declan on the shoulder, Fergus gave his best fighter a warm smile. This was it. They were ready. No more time to waist.

"You ready?"

Declan paused before answering. "As I'll ever be."

"Good." Fergus smiled and opened the door. "Let's go kick some ass."

Declan could feel strong vibrations move through the concrete walls of the stadium he was in. The grey hall they were walking down led straight to the ring in the center of the stadium. Small electric shocks were traveling down his spine. With each step that they took, the low hum of vibrations began to grow into a loud rumble. The arena must have been packed with people. At least two other fights had gone on today and about three more would go after him. But to Declan, the huge crowd was rooting for him. 

Taking a right turn, the two men headed toward a large opening leading into the middle of the building where the ring was set up. From far away, Declan could see tons of people jumping up and down in their seats. Flashing lights meant that people were snapping pictures. Hopefully some were from big newspapers and sport magazines. When he won, his name would be plastered in them and then his fighting career would finally be taking off.

"Ok, They just called Jagger's name." Fergus turned him around and pulled him off to the side. "Now remember everything I taught you. Keep your head down and protect your sides. You've worked around this guy, so you know what he can do. He's a cocky son of a bitch, so knock him down a few times, show him who's boss, and he'll start fumbling around. But don't get to confident. You don't want to make the same mistake this year." Fergus laughed, knowing that the likely hood of that happening again were slim to none. Declan had worked too hard to slip up so easily. That's what made him a better fighter this time around.

Declan took a deep breath and nodded his head.

Fergus smiled. "Good." A guy with a head set on walked over time him from the arena opening and quickly whispered in his ear. Nodding his head, he turned back to Declan. "Get ready. Your up."

Deep from inside the arena, a man with an official voice began speaking over the crowd.

"All the way from Liverpool, weighing in at 13.3 stone..."

Declan took another deep breath and crossed himself, quickly sending up a silent prayer.

"This is his second attempt at making it to the finals and having a chance at the Cage Warriors Championship...."

Here goes nothing.

"Ladies and gentlemen...Introducing...Declan McCarthy!"

Declan strutted out into that area and the crowd went absolutely wild. The noise was almost deafening, and Declan could barely feel the ground beneath him as the crowd's roar of excitement shook the building. More cameras were flashing and even a few large cameras were pointed at him. Possibly a famous sports channel was filming this. The thought of having his fight televised gave him an extra rush of excitement. Turning to a large part of the crowd, Declan raised his arms up high and yelled along with them. The people went absolutely mad in their seats. 

Yes, Declan thought. This was what I've been waiting for. This is what I want.

Fergus was enjoying himself as well. He was standing behind Declan rubbing his shoulders and yelling along with him. This was as big for him as it was for Declan. Fergus hadn't been at such a large fight competition in such a long time. To be in such a place probably brought back a few feelings of nostalgia, and Declan was happy to give it to him.

They had finally made it to the huge ring in the center and Jagger was already inside jumping around, waiting for his opponent to enter and start the match. Declan couldn't help but smirk at him as he climbed up the steps and walked into the gated circular stage. Deep down, he could help but feel sorry for the poor guy. He was about to get his ass handed to him.

Declan stood in the opposite side of the ring and waited for the official referee to start the match. Fergus was waiting outside the gated ring, as was Jagger's. They weren't allowed in. They had to coach from out there. But Declan didn't' need him anymore. Not today.

"Boys!" The referee called the two men into the middle of the ring and had them stand in front of each other. "Now I want a good clean fight. No illegal moves. No hanky panky. If your five seconds away from passing out, tap out. Got it?" he waited a moment for both men to nod their heads. "Good now shake hands."

It took him a moment, but eventually Declan had pushed down enough of his annoyance to lift his hand towards Jagger's. The dick head just stared at it. After a long minute and a loud snort, Jagger put his mouth plate in and stepped back, completely ignoring Declan's out stretched hand.

The entire crowd erupted into a series of 'OH's and 'Boo's. 

Oh. This fucker was going down.

The referee just looked between the two guys and shook his head. Looks like it was going to be a long night.

And with that the fight was on.

Within the first five minutes, Declan was already wearing Jagger down. Jagger was huffing and puffing, But Declan hadn't even broken a sweat. That was a good thing. Once he had tried Jagger out enough, he could go in for the attack with all his saved energy. In the meantime, he would just have to dodge Jagger's attempts. So far, his opponent had been making quick jabs at his right side. He knew that Declan favored his right more, so it would be smart to aim for it. But Declan wasn't about to let him get anywhere close to his right flank.

Jagger charged at him again but Declan quickly moved out of the way, lightly smacking him on the head before padding away. The crowd laughed at that. Menacingly, Jagger turned around to give Declan a bone chilling look. Declan just blew him a kiss.

Come on, he thought. Show me what you got.

Jagger raised his fists. Declan caught him eyeing his right shoulder just before Jagger lunged at him again. The move was predictable, and he easily dodged it. He failed to see Jagger's keg come up from under him and hit him in his left side. A harsh pain began radiating from the left side of his chest, right over his ribs. Declan was so distracted by the pain, he was unable to block Jagger's second hit from the right side. The sheer force of the kick sent Declan falling to the floor.

He only had a second to lay there before Jagger began charging at him again. Rolling out of the way, he barely missed Jagger's knee slamming onto the floor of the ring. The hit was probably meant for his head. A hit like that, and it would have been lights out for him.

Quickly getting to his feet, Declan slammed into Jagger's waist before he had a chance to get up from the floor. Now that he had him on his back, Declan unleashed a flurry of hits to Jagger's face and head. He was bloodying his face up good until Jagger was able to free his arm and land a solid hit to Declan's sore right side.

"Ahh." Declan let out a loud cry, and Jagger was able to push himover and onto his back.

With the tables turned, Jagger tried landing a few hits of his own. He got a few harsh blows near his jaw and top of his head, but for the most part Declan was blocking most of them. He could tell Jagger was getting tired again as the blows started to slow down. Eventually his weariness will make him careless and leave an opening for Declan to get a shot in. And just as he predicted, he was given that opening. Jagger had raised his fist just a bit to high, leaving his left side open. Declan took advantage of the opportunity and nailed a right hook to his opponents rib cage.

"Oomf." All the air was pushed out of Jagger's lungs.

Quickly Declan pushed him off and got to his feet. He watched as Jagger rolled around for a bit on the floor. Pathetic loser was having trouble catching his breath.

Normally, Declan wouldn't wait for a man to get on his feet before charging at him again. But Jagger needed to be taught a lesson. Declan wanted him standing before knocking him back down again. For good.

"Come on, asshole! On yar feet!"

Jagger wobbled around for a bit before gaining enough footing to stand up. Just as Declan was about to go at him again, Jagger raised his hands toward the referee.

"Time out!"

That gave Declan a reason to pause. Time out? Was he serious?

"Time out!" He shouted again before leaning over and resting his hands on his knees.

Oh no. Declan was not about to let this fucker get away. By before he could get anywhere near him the referee came in and called for a time out.

The crowd started booing, hating that the fight had momentarily been put on hold. Declan could sympathize. He was pissed too. But he would take advantage of this small break. He needed some water.

Off to the side, the gates had been opened to let the fighters quickly stick their heads out and grab a drink or talk to their coaches. Fergus was there handing Declan a bottle of water and a towel. Walking over to sit down at the edge of the ring, Declan was able to realize just how beat up he was. The sides of his chest were extremely sore and sensitive. His ribs were probably bruised, and his jaw was starting to ache from the multiple hits he'd received. They'd only been in the ring about ten or fifteen minutes, so Declan needed to bring Jagger down soon before he acquires anymore injuries.

"You're looking good out there boy. And you're doing even better." Fergus smiled at him before wiping some of the sweat off Declan's head and shoulders. "But I have to tell you that when you're out there you should..."

Declan didn't hear anything after that. He was looking out into the crowd now. Seating in the standing off to the side were the only people in the room that mattered. His lovely family members were all jumping up and down in the stand. Dad was standing on the far end next to his sister and cousin, Aidan. Jimmy was there along with him and Aidan's dad. His mom had to stay home to watch the other kids, but he knew that she would've wanted to be here if she could. Looking out at his family, his heart swelled knowing that they were all there to support him. To root for him.

Then why did it feel like there was something missing.

Before he knew it, his short reprieve was over and he had to climb back into the ring.

If his jaw wasn't so sore, he would have let out a long whistle. Damn, Jagger's face was fucked up. The right eye was starting to swell shut, and the beings of dark bruises were starting to form on Jagger's face and chest. Declan was proud of his work.

A shrill bell resounded through the arena and the two fighters immediately ran at each other. Both men were clutching onto the other man's shoulders, desperately trying to throw them off balance. Although they were in the same weight class, Declan was clearly the bigger man. In no time flat, Declan overpowered Jagger and brought him down to his knees. He rammed his knee into his opponent's chest and once into his face. It was almost comical the way Jagger's head flew backwards. As soon as his body hit the floor, Declan was on him like white on rice. Straddling Jagger's waist, Declan unleashed another flurry of bunches to the weaker man's face. 

One. Two. Three hits. Blood spewed from Jagger's lips.

Declan wasn't ashamed to smile down at the poor fellow. This was it. One more hit, and Jagger wouldn't think twice about getting up. Raising his fist above his head, Declan was prepared to unleash his final blow.

Then he heard it. A single call from the stands.

"Come on, Jagger, get up!"

"Darcy, wha the 'ell do ya t'ink yar doing?"

Darcy?

Declan looked up for a second to peer out into the crowd. His eyes immediately zeroed in on his family. His dad had his hand firmly wrapped around his sisters arm, blatantly reprimanding her. Darcy, being stubborn, wasn't listening. She just continued to shout out.

"Come on Jagger! Get back up!"

What? Was his sister...rooting for Jagger. Was his sister actually rooting for the asshole?

But why?

Noticing his opponent was momentarily distracted, Jagger put all of his remaining strength into his fist.

Declan never saw it coming.

The most excruciating, white hot pain erupted around the surrounding flesh of Declan's eye. His head snapped so face, he was looking at the light of God. It only took him a second to realize that it wasn't God but the flashing light of the cameras outside of the ring.

Declan's body felt weightless as he fell to the floor. All the noise began to melt away as one thought resonated in his mind.

Why?

Why did this happen to him?

How could his sister root for his enemy?

In the back ground, he barely registered anything. Only tid-bits of words and phrases. Things like "knock out," "get up", and "he's out" whispered past his ears.

From far away, someone was calling out to him.

"Get up McCarthy! Get up!"

"Come on, son!"

He couldn't get up. He didn't want to. He felt defeated. Utterly lost.

Why would any woman root for a scumbag like Jagger?

And it hit him.

It was because Darcy cared. Darcy cared enough to anger her father to root for him. She cared enough to root for his enemy, while Declan was so scared of disappointing everyone that he'd rather let his relationship with Cheyanne crumble then let his father know.

And he was jealous. Jealous that he didn't have a woman who cared rooting for him.

Had one though. Why wasn't she there?

"It's official. Declan is out for the count and Jagger is the winner!"

Declan heard the annooucer and something just snapped.

Nooooooo! No! No! Fuck no! He couldn't have lost! Not like this! Fuck!

Damn it why aren't you here Cheyanne!

Declan wasn't aware when he finally stood up, but he knew he was fully awake now. Lights were flashing in rapid succession. Dozens of reporters were now piling into the ring. Many wanted to interview the winner. A few wanted a word with Declan.

"McCarthy? McCarthy?" A reporter tried shoving a microphone in his face. "How do you feel about this tremendous loos?"

"McCarthy, what happened out there in the ring?"

Declan just walked passed them out of the ring. Fergus was right there with him.

"Declan," he tried to keep up with him. "Declan what happened out there?"

Declan ignored him and looked out into the stadium seats. His family was looking back at him. His cousins and uncle gave him a look of sympathy. His sister gave him an apologetic look while mouthing the words 'I'm sorry' over and over again. His dad...just looked at him.

He was in the hallway now, making his way back to the locker room with Fergus close behind.

"Declan. Declan you've got to talk to me."

Declan turned around to real quick and grabbed the towel that Fergus had in his hand. He tensely started to wipe himself down. Emotions were running high, and he tried taking deep breaths to calm himself. It wasn't working.




Traditions Ch. 06



"Declan." Fergus tried to get his attention one more time. He was concerned for his fighter.

Declan just ignored him.

"Declan..." he reached his hand out.

Declan smacked his hand away and stepped back. "Just leave me the fuck alone."

He didn't stand there long enough to see the shocked look on his mentor's face. He was too busy trying to get as far away from everyone as possible. Finally making it to the locker room he opened the door and slammed it shut. He was alone, so the loud thud of the door sounded fatal. Like the slamming of a prison door. Final. Absolute.

Declan twisted the towel in his hands.

She should have been there. Why didn't he let her come? Why?

"Damn it!" He threw the towel across the room.

All day he felt weak. Like something was missing. Now he knew why. He needed his woman. She made him complete. Made him feel whole. With her by his side he felt like he could do anything he wanted. If she were here today, she would have empowered him in the ring. That's how much her presence affected him.

That's how much he loved her.

In that moment nothing else mattered. Running to his assigned locker he took out his gym bag and unzipped it, pulling out his sweat pants and T-shirt to change into.

He had to get to her and tell her he made a mistake. She needed to know he cared. He didn't want to waste another day. One more hour couldn't go by without him telling her he loved her.

Slipping on his jacket, Declan dug through his pocket and grabbed his keys. Even if it took all night and day, he would get to her.

****** 

Cheyanne was beat from her day at work. Saturday nights were usually the worst. Every annoying teenager on the planet would come and occupy each table. They'd always come in and order the most elaborate coffee drink and then order a meal that they customize to fit their stupid diets. Most were horrible tippers, too.

It didn't help that she was in a foul mood either. She hadn't talked to Declan in two days.

After escaping from the confines of his car that night, Cheyanne had practically ran all the way back to her room, almost tripping through the doorway to get to her room. Hearing her friend come through the door, Hannah immediately began to babble on about her day.

"Oh my God, you are not going to believe this." Jumping up from her spot on the sofa Hannah walked right in front of Cheyanne, completely blocking the way to her room. "Victoria Barns, Ms. I'm-So-Perfect-And-Have-The-Best-Fashion-Sense, walked in to class today wearing the ugliest..."

At this point Cheyanne couldn't hold back the tears and was now silently sobbing.

"Oh my...Cheyanne what's wrong?"

She just shook her head. "Nothing, it's just..."

Noticing how distressed her friend was, Hannah placed a reassuring hand on her roommates shoulder. "You know you can tell me. What's wrong?"

Cheyanne just continued to shake her head. Her shoulders were quivering with silent sobs.

"Please Hannah, I just..." She raised her hands in frustration. "I don't want to talk about this right now." Side stepping around her friend, Cheyanne quickly made her way to her room.

"No, wait." Hannah tried to reach for her, but she quickly moved out her grasp.

She wasn't in the mood for talking about the horrible night she had just had. She just wanted some time to be only and think about things. That was hard to do with Hannah interrogating her all the way down the hall.

"Cheyanne, what's wrong? Did something happen to you tonight? Are you in trouble?"

Cheyanne had finally passed the threshold to her room, her temporary sanctuary. Gripping the door handle, she turned just in time to hear Hannah ask her final question. The worst question to ask.

"Does this have anything to do with Declan?"

Slam!

Since that night, the two of them had avoided the subject of Declan and what happened that night. Thinking about him now, she realized that his match was supposed to be today. By now he and his family were probably celebrating together. Whatever! She was fine with working tonight. Who cares about the stupid teenagers? If Declan really cared he would have wanted her there.

Finally reaching her floor, she sighed and began shuffling in her purse for her dorm key. Walking to her room, she didn't notice the tall figure looming by her door.

"God!" Cheyanne clutched her chest. "Declan?"

He was leaning against the wall across from her dorm room. Half of him was shrouded by the darkness in the hallway. That was probably why she didn't notice him at first. She couldn't believe it but there he was, standing by her door, in his sweats and jacket...just standing there.

"Declan, what are you doing here? How did you get in here? How do you even know which floor I live on?"

He didn't answer her immediately. He just continued to stand there and stare at her.

"Hannah let me in." He said.

Hannah. That sneaky bitch. She would have to have a talk with her roommate later.

"Your not suppose to be here." She flipped her pony tail over her shoulder and crossed her arms. "I could get in trouble having visitors this late."

She was still mad. Declan could tell. Cheyanne had every right to be mad at him. He was upset with himself. He had to suppress a smile as he looked at her. She was incredibly sexy when she was angry.

The awkward silence was starting to annoy Cheyanne. Why the hell was he not talking? Did something go wrong at the match? He definitely wouldn't be acting like this if had just won.

"Did your fight go ok?" Cheyanne noticed when he tensed up.

"No."

"What happened?"

He shrugged. "I got my ass kicked."

"Oh...I'm sorry." Truth be told, she wasn't as sorry as she should have been. He had been a jerk to her earlier that week. But still, she knew how hard he had worked. Winning that match was everything to him.

He only shrugged at her apology. He clearly didn't want to talk about it. They just stood in companionable silence for a few moments. Cheyanne was at a loss as to what to do. Declan wasn't the type of person to be comforted. Glancing down at her wrist watch, she noted the time and sighed. 

"Look it's kind of late, and we aren't suppose to have boys in our rooms after dark. Whatever it is you needed to say. It will just have to wait until..." She took a step towards her door at the same time Declan took a step towards her.

The dimness of the hall had hidden most of his face. Now that he was in the light, Cheyanne could clearly see the big black eye he was sporting.

"Oh my God! Declan did you get that from the fight." She reached up her hand to lightly cup his face but he stopped her hand in mid air.

"I need to talk to you."

"Yeah of course! Come in." Keys in hand, Cheyanne quickly opened the door and let them in.

Upon walking in, Declan quickly surveyed the small area she lived in. It wasn't that small of a space. Directly in front of him was a small sitting are with a couch and a TV on the opposite wall. Branching off to the side were two small hallways he assumed led to Cheyanne and Hannah's rooms.

"Sit down on the couch." Cheyanne directed him with authority in her voice. "I'll be right back." With that, Declan watched her walk down the hall to his right.

That must be her bedroom, he thought as he took a seat of the small couch. It was a bit weird for him, being in Cheyanne's dorm room. Technically, this was where she lived everyday, and slept every night. Immediately the image of Cheyanne asleep in bed popped into his head, her hair spread out like a halo across the pillow. The idea that he was in the same place suddenly seemed so...intimate.

On the way here, he had been to upset to notice any pain. Now his adrenaline had finally worm off and his head was killing him. Jagger had hit him pretty good. His jaw felt soft ad sore, and it hurt to blink his right eye. He was going to be hurting for weeks.

Light foot steps alerted him to Cheyanne's approach.

"Sorry I took so long." She said as she walked around the couch. "I couldn't remember where I put the first aid kit."

"That's fine." He looked her over. "You changed."

"Umm, yeah." She said as she looked down at herself. "Didn't want to stay in my work clothes. They smelled like food."

Declan nodded and checked out her new ensemble. She had changed into a light pink camisole and a pair of white cotton shorts. The clothes were obviously meant for leisure, but Declan thought that she looked sexy them. The shirt managed to reveal just enough chest to be distracting. Declan could tell that if he were to reach out and gently tug the top of her shirt Cheyanne's perky nipples would be exposed. And those shorts...those shorts just barely covered the tops of her thighs. He couldn't help but look at her bottom when she bent over to place the first aid kit on the coffee table.

Opening the lid, Cheyanne rummaged around inside before looking back up at him and examined his eye. "You'll have the black eye for a few days, so you probably shouldn't worry about that. You do have a small cut above your eye. It doesn't look like it needs stitches though." Reaching inside she pulled out the bottle of peroxide and a few cotton balls.

She looked back up at him. "I'm going to try and clean it, if that's ok?"

Declan couldn't really use words at the moment so he just nodded his head in consent.

With his silent approval, Cheyanne unscrewed the top off the peroxide bottle and poured a bit on the cotton ball. She took a step towards him and Declan opened his legs to give her better access.

"This might sting a bit." She said.

Declan simply nodded his head again, and Cheyanne proceeded to clean the cut on his eye.

The stinging pain was a bit annoying for him, but he barely registered the awkward sensation. He couldn't help but be highly aware of Cheyanne's close proximity to his manhood. Every time she leaned over to dab at his eye, her thighs would rub against the roughness of his jeans. God, this woman was putting him on edge. He could already start to feel a bulge growing in his pants. But he needed to calm down. He had come all this way to tell her something important, and he needed to be in the right mind to say it.

Cheyanne could feel the weighted stare Declan had been giving her ever since she walked back into the room. She stopped fanning at his eye to look down at him. Over the past few months Declan had given her several looks, but the one he was giving her now was completely new. His face was stoic and gave nothing away. But the way his eyes looked, the glazed look over them made it seem like he was staring straight into her. Declan had never looked so intently at her and she didn't know what to make of it.

"Your eye looks fine now." She turned abruptly and the magic was gone. Walking quickly across the room, Cheyanne deposited the dirty cotton balls into the trash. "It looks like it will heal pretty quickly."

Declan lightly touched his head. "Thanks, but I t'ink mi pride is the one dat needs fixing."

Cheyanne snorted at that. "Don't think I know how to fix that." Looking through the kit again she pulled out a few butterfly band aids. "And even if I did I probably wouldn't want to."

Declan sighed and watched her as she placed the band aids above his eye. "Your mad."

"How could you tell?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Look I'm sorry..." He started but she raised her hand to stop him.

"Don't bother." She waved off his apology. "You made the decision you thought was right for you."

"Excuse me?" That comment through him off a but. "What the hell does that mean?"

"What the hell do you think it means?"

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me, Cheyanne." Declan's voice took on a more commanding tone.

Cheyanne didn't like that one bit. "How do you expect me to feel, Declan? You told me before that you were going to try an be more open in our relationship, yet it seems that you've never even mentioned me to your parents. They don't even know your dating. Then you go and tell me a few days ago that your parents wouldn't be able to accept me as your girlfriend even if you decided to tell them. How do you think that makes me feel?"

Declan took a second to answer. "Pretty shitty."

Cheyanne could only shake her head. "I feel like...our entire relationship is just some fling to you."

"Now you know dat isn't true. You t'ink I don'a feel like shit right now."

"I don't care right now." Cheyanne crossed her arms and looked down at her feet. "I think you should go."

Like hell he was going to leave.

"No." he shook his head. "We need to talk."

"Well I don't want to talk.'

"Cheyanne." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I really need ta talk ta you."

"And I just...can't listen right now. The last few things you've said weren't exactly pleasant, and I'm not interested in hearing anymore."

The look on her face spoke volumes to Declan. She was in no mood to talk. But he needed to talk to her. It took him to long to discover his feelings for her.

No. She was going to listen, damn it.

"Cheyanne, I've got something to tell you..."

"Well you just going to have to tell me later." She shook her head and turned from him to walk to the front door. "I don't want you here."

Damn it man. Just say it!

Cheyanne grabbed the door knob. "I need you to-"

"I love you."

"...leave." Her grip tightened on the door knob. Was she hearing things? She couldn't have possible heard those words come out of his mouth. Hesitantly she turned and looked over her shoulder to look at him. He hadn't moved from his hunched over position on the couch. The intense look he'd been giving her hadn't let up, not once.

"I love you, Cheyanne."

There it was again. The words were softer. Not as firm as before, but still strong.

Did he really mean it?

The look on her face told Declan that she was questioning his true feelings. The fact that she didn't believe him caused a small ache in his chest. Why would she believe him? As many times as he'd try to be open with her, he never actually opened up to her. Not about anything important anyway. Not like this. She had been to patient, too. So understanding about his situation. But he took advantage of that. He was going to start making up for that, starting right here, right now.

"Dove...," he extended his hand towards her. "Can ya come sit wit me."

Her gaze kept flicking back between his hand and his face. The internal debate she was having with herself was clearly visible on her face. Finally, after what seemed like forever to Declan, Cheyanne slowly came and sat down on the farthest end if the couch. The distance felt like miles to him, but he was determined to close the space.

"Chey, I...shit...," he rubbed a hand over his face. "I don't even know where to start."

His nerves were on over drive. So he took a big breath an attempted to continue.

"When I walked inta dat ring today, I was confident I would come out of there da winner. I mean." He sat up a bit. "I had been training all year, and I hadn't lost a match yet. Why wouldn't I win?"

Cheyanne just sat there and listened to him, desperately trying to make sense of his story.

"But all day... hell, for da past t'ree days, I've felt off. I tried to write it off as jus' nerves, but I never was one to get nervous before a fight. So why was I feeling like dis now?"

He shook his head, and a small smile began to show. "I walked inta dat arena, and da crowd was jus'roaring. Mi family was just off ta da side cheering me on. Mi coach was there for support. It was da greatest hig I've ever felt. Me and mi opponent stood in the middle of the ring and the ref started da match."

His face fell. "About twenty minutes in, I get distracted by some'ting off stage. Some girl yells out 'Go Jagger! Go Jagger!' and it threw me off."

Cheyanne looked at him for a moment and shrugged. "I don't understand..."

"It was mi sister." He stated. "Mi sister was cheering him on. And the funny thing is, I wasn't even mad at her. I was jealous of Jagger. Da fucking asshole had done nothing but act like a prick all his life, and I was jealous because he had da one t'ing I wanted."

Cheyanne was almost hesitant to ask. "What did he have?"

"A woman cheering him on." He said simply. "He had a woman who cared enough to cheer him on, and I hated it. I got so distracted by it dat it gave jagger a chance to hit me wit a mean right hook."

"The funny t'ing is, all I could t'ink about was you. I didn't give a damn about da match. All dat mattered to me was dat I was lying on da floor of dat ring, bleeding, and you weren't there ta tall me ta get back up. Ya weren't there ta tell me I couldn't give up. Dat ruined me. It shouldn't have been like dat. I should have been like dat. I should have had ya standing off ta da side cheering for me. I hated da fact dat ya weren't there, and I hated mi self for telling ya not ta come."

Cheyanne didn't know how to interpret what Declan was telling her. Where was this man three days ago, she thought. He had completely changed his tune. He sounded sincere, but...how could she know for sure.

"Declan," she took a deep breath and sighed. "Your just upset about the match."

He shook his head. "No I'm not." He tried to reach for her hand but she pulled away.

"Dec..."

"You don'a believe me?" She didn't say anything back but her answer was clear. "Why not? Have I ever lied ta ya? Haven't I always been honest wit ya? Da truth might have been harsh at times, but it was always da truth. So why would I start lying now?"

That much was true. He was never the type to lie.

"But what about your parents?" She asked.

It was an excuse, an attempt to distract him. "My parents are my parent. They may not like us together at first, but once they grow ta know ya like I do...ta love ya like I do, everyt'ing will be fine." He took hold of her hand and she didn't pull away this time,

Cheyanne thought for a moment before asking. "What if they don't...like me?"

"They will. And if they don't, then fuck it. I don'a give a damn." He tugged at her hand and she moved forward a bit. "They'll jus' have ta get over it. Yar what I want."

She had crawled a bit closer on her knees but Declan couldn't wait any longer. Moving forward, he took his hand from hers and wrapped it around his waist while his other hand gently cupped the back of her knee. In one quick movement, he closed the distance between the two of them and had her straddling his hips. Cheyanne hissed when she felt the bulge in his pants rub against her core.

"Chey, look at me." He commanded softly. She looked up without hesitation. "Do ya believe me now? Do you believe dat I love you?"

Looking into his eyes, there was a childlike innocence there that Cheyanne had never seen before. He was relieved, happy to have finally told her his true feelings. But they were also afraid. He was afraid she would deny him. But after everything he said, how could she. She saw right into him and knew without a doubt that his feelings were true.

"Yes," she said. "I know you love me." She leaned her head forward and rested it on his.

Declan let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "And do ya love me?"

She didn't take long to think up an answer. Never in her short life had she ever felt drawn to one boy. No one had ever caught her eye long enough. Then one day, by chance, she runs into the man sitting before her and her feelings just change completely. Never had she felt the need to talk to one person or be around one person every day. Never had she wanted to be held the way he was holding her now. All this time, Cheyanne had been falling hard for Declan, and she didn't even realize she was doing it. It was just that easy.

"Yes," the words came out so softly, Declan almost missed them. "Yes, I love you."

Cheyanne barely got the words out before Declan leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. God, nothing had tasted so sweet to him. Her lips were like a drug, and he didn't want to let go. He just wanted more. He wanted to drown in her. Declan nipped at her bottom lip, causing her to gasp and open her mouth. He took her moment of distraction to press his tongue in her mouth and wrap it around hers.




Traditions Ch. 06



Damn, the boy knew how to kiss. Cheyanne wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself closer. She heard his deep groan as she ground her hips against his. Cheyanne was loving the way his hands were moving on her. Both were exploring the skin under her shirt, skimming around the edge of her shorts. Suddenly, Declan broke off the kiss and pulled back.

His eyes were closed and his voice was husky. "I want to see you."

Cheyanne froze.

He opened his eyes and looked straight into her. "Please."

Declan wasn't commanding her this time. He was begging her. He never begged for anything. This made Cheyanne more than eager to comply. She nodded her head, at a loss for words, and reach for the bottom of her shirt. Declan stopped her.

"No," he said. "Let me." Slowly he unfurled her fingers and placed his hands where hers had been. His hands bunched around her shirt but they didn't move. He stopped for a moment, and let his hands hover there. He had never been so close to a girl before, never this intimate. He wanted to bask in the revelation that he was doing it with the woman he loved.

Slowly, inch by inch, he removed the light pink shirt from her skin. When he had pulled it up far enough, Cheyanne raised her arms up and discarded the shirt when it was off. For a moment Declan just stared at her chest. They were beautiful, just like he imagined. The chocolate colored buds lying on top of the caramel covered skin were just mesmerizing. Declan sighed and leaned forward to take hold of a nipple.

Cheyanne gasped and threw her head back. Declan flicked his tongue against the hard tip of her breast and it felt so good. It was sending shock waves down to her panties. When Declan was done he planted soft butterfly kisses against her chest and continued his ministrations on her other tit. Cheyanne wrapped her hands in his hair as he gently suckled her breast, cradling his head like a baby.

Declan had still not taken off his jacket, so Cheyanne pushed him back and slid her hands across his shoulders to push the jacket off. Taking the hint, Declan shrugged out of it the rest of the way and placed his hands back on her hips.

"Your room?" he whispered against her lips.

"Yes." Cheyanne answered back before leaning back into his lips.

Without missing a beat, Declan picked her up and walked them to her room. Their lips never left each other, not even when he reached out to open the door.

Cheyanne sighed when Declan gently placed her on the small bed. She reached out to bring him closer but he leaned away to stand beside her bed. He loomed over her a moment and admired the beauty that was laying so enticingly across the bed. Slowly, he stripped out of his own shirt and enjoyed watching the change in her expression. Cheyanne had always admired his physic. But to finally be able to see the defined muscle beneath was intoxicating. Declan's chest was layered with deeply cut muscles. Cheyanne took her time gazing at his brad chest that led to his washer board as. A small patch of hair led from his belly button and disappeared beneath the waistband of his sweats. She was highly tempted to like her way down the v-cut muscles that stretched down from his hips.

Once Declan knew Cheyanne got her fill, he slowly began to crawl from the edge of the bed until his whole body covered hers. His lips latched onto hers once more, and Cheyanne moaned in content. Wrapping her arms around Declan, she pulled him closer, effectively pressing her exposed breasts to his bare chest. He cupped her bottom and squeezed in approval. Grinding his pelvis into her, he elicited another moan from deep within her. Tension was starting to grow just below her stomach. She needed release, and Declan wanted to give it to her.

Removing his hand from her backside, he moved his palm to her front and lightly skimmed the top of her shorts. Cheyanne automatically raised her hips in approval. Needing no more instruction than that, Declan slide his hand beneath her shorts and light grazed his fingers across the lips of her pussy. Cheyanne moaned from the sensation his touch caused.

"More." She whispered.

Declan kissed her lips with more fierceness and began rubbing her swollen clit. Cheyanne arched her back at the contact. She had never felt so much pleasure before. All she could feel was the amazing energy building bellow. She wanted Declan to feel it to. Removing her hand from his thick locks, she ran her hands down his firm chest until she felt the waist band of his pants. Declan groaned when she gripped onto his manhood. Damn, this woman was driving him to the brink. Tracing the outside of her entrance, Declan gently pushed a finger in.

"Ahh...Fuck!"

Declan almost laughed at the expletive she used. Gently, he rubbed at her hidden spot, observing pleasurable sounds that escaped her.

"Dec...ah! Declan."

God, he loved the way she moaned his name.

"Ya like dat, dove?" He groaned when she rubbed her hand along his cock. "Ya want more?"

She sighed and whispered. "Yes!"

Carefully, Declan added another finger. Cheyanne, moaned louder. Picking up the pace, her pleasure increased with each quick pump of Declan's fingers. Soon a great pressure started to build within her. Declan's ministrations increased at her urging. Finally, the small bomb that was building within her core came to a head. The explosion racked her entire body.

"Oh...God!" Small sparks were traveling up her limbs. Pleasure like she'd never know radiated though her body. For several minutes, they just held each other, panting. Declan's hand still in her shorts.

When the sparks under her skin dwindled down to a low hum, Declan finally pulled his hand away. Raising it to his face, Declan licked his two fingers.

"Mmm." He was wrong before. He thought her lips tasted good. Her pussy was even sweeter. The juices on his fingers tasted like honey. He wanted more.

Cheyanne was hovering so high on her cloud nine that she almost didn't flinch when Declan's hands moved to remove her shorts.

"Wait." She panted.

Declan was so lustfully inebriated, he almost missed what she has said.

"Wait." She said again and grabbed his hand. "We cant."

"What?"

She sat up. "We can't do this. Not here. Not like this."

As her words sank in, Declan let out a long sigh and hung his head. He was just about to...with her. In bed. What the fuck was he thinking?

He cursed under his breath. "I'm sorry."

"No." She shook her head and smiled. "Don't be."

"And why not? I took advantage of ya." And he felt ashamed because of it. He was raised better than that.

Cheyanne could tell he felt conflicted about what had just transpired between them. She placed both her hands on his chest and tried to comfort him a bit.

"You didn't take advantage of me."

"But I..."

"Did I tell you to stop?"

He looked at her for a long time before shaking his head.

"Then you didn't take advantage of me. That was the most...intense thing that has ever happened to me. I enjoyed every second of it."

Declan liked hearing that. He gave her a cocky smile.

"Really?" He greedily ran his hands down her bare thigh.

"Yes." She smiled back up at him. "I just don't think we should go any further right now. I don't feel ready."

He nodded his head. "No. No, I understand." He cupped her face in both of his hands. "I would never push ya ta do any'ting ya weren't ready for. I love you, okay?"

She sighed and closed her eyes. "I love you, too."

"Mmm, ya have no idea how much I love hearing ya say dat." He bent down and kissed her lips.

The two let their lips linger in place for a moment before they pulled back. Cheyanne opened her eyes at him before looking down. She quirked an eyebrow.

"Are you going to be ok, up know, down there?"

Declan was confused for a moment until he looked down as well. His pants still sported a very big bulge.

"Ugh, it will go down eventually."

Hopefully.

Cheyanne gave him a mischievous smile. "Are you sure?"

Fuck.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

He hoped. It was starting to hurt like a mother fucker.

Declan surveyed the time displayed on the digital clack in Cheyanne's room.

He sighed. "It's late. Ya probably need yar rest." He was getting up to leave when Cheyanne grabbed onto his arm. 

"No wait." She moved her gaze from his face to the bed. "You can stay...if you want."

Declan raised an eyebrow and looked at the bed. Definitely too small for him. But the idea of lying in bed with Cheyanne was too tempting to pass up.

"Okay."

She smiled and got up from the bed. "Let me just get my shirt."

"No." His statement stopped her mid step.

Declan smiled at her before removing his sweats to stand in his boxers. Pulling back the covers, he crawled in and made himself comfortable before turning back to her.

"Come here." He extended his hand towards her.

Cheyanne smiled and looked away shyly. Declan found that funny, considering what they just did.

"Come here, love."

At his urging, Cheyanne stepped forward and crawled into bed with him. She lay so her back was pressed to his front, and once she was comfortable, Declan wrapped his arms around her. Cheyanne let out a small yawn, and within moment Declan felt her relax into a deep sleep.

This right here, he thought. This was what he needed. He needed her. Having her in his arms was just too right,

With that thought in mind, Declan placed a light kiss on her shoulder and fell into a comfortable sleep.