25/ Playing with fire.

"There's nothing going on between me and Abel Mom." Amey said as she sat at the kitchen table while she watched her mother at the sink doing the dishes.

"I wasn't born yesterday Amey. I saw the way you were looking at him the other night and so did your father." Hailey said in return.

"Why's Dad so against him anyway."

"He's too old for you Amey."

"Dad's way older than you."

"I wasn't 15 years old when we first got together."

"Why does that even matter?"

Hailey raised her eyebrows slightly as she turned from the sink to face her eldest daughter. "Amey your father's rules are in place for a reason. You're growing up and pretty soon if you're not already you're going to start experiencing some pretty strong emotions and hormones. Sometimes you may not be able to control how those hormones will make you feel." Hailey said, unable to stop her own thoughts from drifting back to her first encounter with Happy. "Your father and I don't want you to get yourself into any situation that you may later regret."

"Like what?"

"I know you're not naive Amey. That look you had in your eye last night was lust. It can make you do crazy things that you may not be ready for."

"He's just so dreamy though Mom and I mean well you're right I have been feeling some stuff lately, like maybe boys aren't quite so gross ..." she trailed off.

Hailey gave her daughter a small smile of understanding knowing she was skirting around the edges of what she was really trying to say. She remembered being that lustful teenager herself many years ago.

"Well while you're sorting all that stuff out please just keep your distance from Abel Teller okay?"

"Fine Mom." Amey responded with an exaggerated sigh.

"I'm serious Amey." Hailey insisted. "Your father and I do not want you to get hurt."

"You can't protect me from everything Mom." Amey continued to argue.

"Amey please, if you know what's good for you, you'll follow your fathers rules okay?" Hailey said with a half deflated sigh.

"Whatever Mom." Amey groaned as they both heard the horn of the school bus beep outside. Amey rose from the table and grabbed her bag as Pierce flew down the stairs and out the front door calling good bye as he hit the bottom step.

"Bye Mom." She said placing a kiss on her mother's cheek as she headed toward the door also.

"Bye and don't forget I need you to watch Grace this afternoon."

"I know Mom." She called back.

Hailey sighed as she heard the garage door open and her SUV drive in, Happy behind the wheel. She knew her words to her daughter had fallen on deaf ears and she also knew from previous experience that if anybody hurt Amey, Happy Lowman would lose his mind.

"Kids made the bus, Princess?" Happy asked as he entered from the garage having just driven Grace to nursery school. He tossed his keys on the island bench.

"Yeah Hap." She answered with a sigh as she turned back to the breakfast dishes in the sink.

"What's up Princess?" He said sliding his hands down her hips as he stood behind her.

"It's nothing Hap." She answered knowing he was going to press for answers.

"Hailey." He said forcing her to turn and face him. "We don't keep secrets baby. What's going on?"

She gave him a small smile. She loved that even after all these years he could still read her like a book and saw beneath the front she often tried to put up.

"I'm worried about Amey."

"Why? What's she done? Wait. This doesn't have anything to do with Abel Teller does it?"

"No I mean yes. Well not yet."

Happy's eyes narrowed at his wife in a questioning way. He didn't need to ask the question that his eyes conveyed.

"They haven't done anything but she's pretty hung up on him Hap. I tried talking to her but I don't know that I really got through to her babe."

Happy dropped his hands from her waist and leant against the kitchen counter, his knuckles turning white. Hailey placed her hands upon his in an effort to calm him. "Maybe I need to talk to Abel again." Happy said in a low voice. Hailey recognized his tone. It was just on the edge of fury.

"Babe. You made it clear to him that she's off limits."

"I know I did but it's not him I'm worried about."

It was Hailey's turn to cast a questioning look.

"I saw the way she looked at him the other night Hailey. It was the same way you looked at me that first night. That look does things to a man princess, things they have no control over."

"Maybe we should tell her about us. How young I really was?"

"I'm not sure that would help Princess. She'll see it as we turned out okay so she'll get her happy ever after too."

"Yeah. You're probably right."

"I'll talk to her tonight. You're on night shift yeah?"

"Yeah I am."

"Look I've gotta get back to the clubhouse babe. You're right to pick Grace up from nursery school right?"

"Yeah. I have to leave here by four for work but Amey will be home to watch her. You'll be home by dinner right?"

"Yeah Princess."

Hailey smiled. "I love you Happy Lowman." She said.

"I love you too Princess." He said running his hands down her hips with a questioning look in his eyes wondering at the meaning behind her words.

"I just love that beneath the domestication I've instilled in you you're still the same staunch protector and grumpy pain in the ass that I fell in love with." She answered the soft content smile he'd grown to love plastered all over her face.

"Well thanks I think." He said lowering his lips to hers.

"I thought you had to get back to the clubhouse?" She asked pulling her lips away.

"Not just yet." He said pulling her lips back to his before hoisting her up onto the counter.

"Amey. You got a minute?" Nate asked her meeting her at her locker. Amey sighed.

"Not really. I gotta get home to look after Grace." She replied. She knew she'd been doing her best to avoid him since he had caught her out with Abel.

"I'll give you a ride." He said, not taking no for an answer. "We need to talk."

"Nate, really I can get the bus like usual." She protested.

"Quit avoiding me Amey. You're coming with me and that's the end of it."

She sighed. She knew she wouldn't be able to avoid him forever. "Yeah okay." She answered allowing him to steer her down the hallway and out the doors of Charming State High School.

"What was with you and Abel the other night?" He wasted no time in asking the question that had no doubt been on his mind the whole weekend.

"It was just a bit of fun." She answered defensively.

"A bit of fun that could get you in a whole lot of trouble." He responded handing her his spare helmet.

"It's no different to you and me." She said as she watched him throw his leg over his bike. She thought she saw a flicker of jealousy cross his gaze before he answered.

"It's a whole lot different and you know it. He's way older than me Aim and you know your Dad warned him away from you right?" He answered.

"Yeah." She sighed knowing the implication that his words held.

"Get on." He said.

She sighed and climbed onto his bike behind him knowing that he was right in warning her away from becoming involved with Abel.

"You coming in?" She asked him after he'd pulled up in her driveway.

"Yeah. If that's okay." He responded as she got off his bike and handed him the helmet.

"Of course it is."

He smiled and hung her helmet on his handle bars and then did the same with his own.

"Mom. I'm home." She called as she entered the front door.

"Oh good. Thank you honey." Hailey said rushing into the lounge room.

"I thought you didn't start for another hour?" Amey asked watching her mother flit around the room in her scrubs.

"They called me just before to let me know there's a new nurse starting. I need to give her the tour before she starts her first shift. Dinner is in the fridge, you'll just need to reheat it. Grace is still napping but will want milk and cookies when she wakes. Pierce is at the clubhouse with your father. He said they'll be home for dinner. Oh and did I tell you it's in the fridge."

"Yes Mom. Relax. I can take care of everything here. You just get to work okay?" Amey assured her mother. She knew she loved her job but the stresses of being a supervisor now were beginning to get to her.

"Thanks Amey." Hailey smiled. "Oh hi Nate." She greeted him noticing him for the first time.

"Hey Aunt Hailey." He responded with a smile.

"I have to go sweetheart." She said placing a kiss on her daughter's cheek. "Your dad should be home by about six."

"Okay Mom." Amey answered watching her mother rush out the door.

"She's not normally so stressed is she?" Nate asked making his way to the kitchen.

"Nah. She's just been promoted again and there's a whole lot more responsibilities she's got now. Dad wants her to quit because he reckons she doesn't enjoy it like she used to."

"She does seem on edge a lot more than I remember her being when we were growing up." He said as she picked an apple out of the fruit bowl.

"Yeah. Look Nate, what you saw between me and Abel; you won't say anything will you?" She asked changing the subject.

"Of course not. But seriously Aim you need to be careful. Abel's older and probably way more experienced. You could be in over your head before you know it."

She nodded slowly as she took a bite from the apple. "That's what Mom said too."

"She would know. Look at the age gap between her and your dad."

Amey nodded slowly clearly lost in thought before she spoke again. "And what about you and me? I haven't crossed any boundaries have I?" She asked quietly biting her lip.

He glanced at her, not expecting her words. "We didn't have any." He answered.

She nodded again and placed her apple aside on the counter. "We can still do stuff right?" She said jumping to sit on the counter behind her, biting her lip and hoping he'd approach.

"You gonna be a good girl and stay away from Teller?" He asked placing his hands on her thighs.

"Have you ever known me to be good girl?" She asked devilishly.

He sighed. "Don't get hurt Aim." He said gazing into her eyes and then quickly looking away.

"Wait. Are you jealous Nate Trager?" She asked a little incredulously.

"Maybe a little." He admitted, for the first time acknowledging that he was perhaps developing feelings for her beyond their fooling around.

He placed his hand at the back of her neck and pulled her toward him and pressed his lips against hers. He heard a gasp escape her throat as he deepened their kiss in a way he never had before.

"Nate," she murmured a little confused at the sudden possessiveness of his kiss as she pulled away.

"Look I care about you Amey. I don't wanna see you get tangled up with a guy like Abel." He said chipping her chin up to meet her gaze.

"So what is this between us now?" She asked.

"Let's just see where it goes." He said quietly.

She bit her lip and nodded before he leant in to kiss her once more.

She pulled away as they both heard Grace heading down the hallway toward the kitchen. Amey pulled away and jumped down off the counter to begin preparing her sisters afternoon snack, hoping that she hadn't seen anything as she appeared in the kitchen doorway her hair mussed from her nap.

"Hey Gracie." She said pouring milk into a glass. "Did you have a good sleep?" She asked watching her little sister nod as she rubbed sleep from her eyes and took a seat at the table.

"What were you and Nate doing?" the little girl asked as she picked up a cookie.

"We were just talking Grace." Amey answered casting her eyes somewhat guiltily across to Nate.

"I didn't hear any talking." Grace commented.

"We were talking quietly, like grownups do sometimes." Nate put in.

"Okay." Grace said seemingly happy with that answer. Amey couldn't help but wonder what her little sister had seen.

"I'm gonna head off Aim." Nate said.

"Sure Nate. I'll see you out." Amey said readying to follow him to the front door.

"See ya Grace." He said ruffling his fingers through her fair curls.

"Bye." She said with a smile as he left the kitchen.

"Do you think she saw anything?" Amey asked quietly as she opened the front door.

"Don't know Aim." Nate said moving through the front door and looking back at her. He knew he'd been a fool to think nothing would come of the fooling around they'd been doing. If he was honest with himself it had been seeing her with Abel that had pushed him to admit his growing feelings toward her. That and he hoped that showing an interest in her would keep her out of Teller's path.

"Well let's hope she didn't cos she'll blab." Amey said before biting her lip.

"Relax Aim." He said placing his hand upon her arm briefly. "Just play it cool okay?"

"If my dad finds out about us you know we're both dead right?"

"Thought you liked playing with fire Amey Lowman?" he remarked with a smirk.

She gave a small smile, "Maybe but I'd prefer to stay out of my father's warpath."

"You know his rules are there to protect you right? It's me that would cop it if he found out." Nate said not being able to resist placing his hand upon her arm.

She nodded and bit her lip. "We can't get caught Nate." She said quietly.

"I'll make sure we don't Aim." He said as he backed away toward his bike.

She smiled back and took a deep breath as butterflies rose in her belly watching him go. She'd never before experienced the feelings welling up inside of her and she was confused, both at what they meant and that she was experiencing them about Nate.

A/N: So I'm back. There have been so many things standing between me and writing lately, mostly work, but I'm going to try to update all of my stories over the coming weeks. Some are nearing their end and some like this one have a little ways to go. Happy and Hailey have always been my favourite pairing and I love writing their world but as I've said before this story has taken off in a direction I never expected it to so I'm not too sure yet where it's end is ... As always please review and let me know your thoughts.