Take Me Anywhere

Summary: It's been two years since Cook left Manchester, still on the run from the law and as desperate as ever to disappear. Everything was simple until he met her; Tess was the definition of the word mayhem. Can he survive in her world or can he pull her into his?

XVIII: Hope

It was dark when they reached Hull and when Cook was certain that they had not been followed, they made their way to the address that Gerard had provided him. This was going to be their home; it was modest and out of the way; it was walking distance from the city centre but was not surrounded by many other houses. It meant that they would have their privacy and they wouldn't have to worry about someone seeing them here. It was perfect for them. They got out of the car and as Tess took their bags from the boot of the car, Cook looked under every rock for the front door key.

"Is the key there?" she closed the boot and peered over at Cook as he continued in his search.

"It ain't here Tess. We're going to have to get a hotel or something for the night."

"No need," a man called out to them as he left his front garden, "I didn't think the two of you would get here so soon. Gerard only told me a few hours ago that you were on your way from Glasgow." He stepped over to Tess and held his hand out towards her. "I'm Benjamin, one of your dad's old army mates."

"Benjamin Coulter by any chance?" she asked as she shook his hand.

"The very one. I assume your dad has told you many stories about me."

"That many that I feel like I know you," she heard Cook approaching them and stood to the side, "this is James, but he goes by Cook."

"Pleasure to meet you, James." He shook Cook's hand and reached into his pocket.

"Likewise. Thank you for getting this place for us, I know you've been trying to help out."

"Well I didn't do that much. Gerard put the word out that the two of you needed a bit of protection and explained the situation and I had happened to lose a tenant a few weeks ago, so I had the place ready and waiting." He handed them over a set of keys and leaned against Cook's car, his hands returning to his pockets. "You're not going to have any trouble in this little cul-de-sac, until you two came, I was one of the youngest in the street."

Tess glanced around the houses and felt a sense of security, a feeling that she hadn't felt in a long time. "Perfect. What about the passports, are you the one dealing with them?"

"Yes, but I'm not going to be able to get them for a few weeks. How about we chat inside, I'll show you around and then I'll get out of your hair."

"So, what do you do for a living now that you're out of the army?" Cook asked as he led the way into the house.

"I work in construction, run a few sites throughout Hull and the surrounding areas. I needed something to keep me active."

"Where did all this furniture come from?" Tess asked as she inspected the living room.

"Some of it is stuff that your dad had in storage from the move. Well, most of it is. All of your basic appliances are left behind from the previous tenant."

"And how are we going to pay you for this place? How much is rent?" she asked as she stepped into the kitchen, glancing over at Cook as he rummaged through the cupboards for a couple of tea bags.

"Your dad is paying me for the first couple of months, but after that I think it's up to the two of you. Rent is £590, expected at the first week of the month." Benjamin took a seat at the small dining table and watched Tess as she looked around the room. "What do you think?"

"It's manageable if the both of us can find a job." She said as Cook handed her a cup of tea.

"Is there a good chance of finding a job here?" Cook asked as he handed a cup over to Benjamin.

"There's bits and pieces, but if you ever get stuck, I could take you on as an apprentice."

"I couldn't ask that of you, you're already helping us out so much." Cook sat in front of him, he had never experienced kindness like this and he didn't know what to do with it.

"It's nothing, an extra set of hands around the yard is never a bad thing." He could see the uncertainty on Cook's face and took a sip of his tea. "Tell you what, I'll let you think about it, you've just met me and I'm sure you've been through a lot as it is without me throwing more in your direction. You know where I am if you want to take me up on my offer."

"We'll talk about it," she looked at Cook, giving him a quick nod, "now, how about you show us around this lovely home?"

He hadn't heard anything in hours, Louie wasn't answering his phone and he was starting to sweat. He sat in the VIP area alone with a drink as people enjoyed themselves around him. All he wanted was to be back at home with Tess, the club wasn't bringing him any happiness anymore, it just kept him in his nice house. He didn't expect to feel this way about anyone; when Frankie left him, he felt nothing but relief. From the distance he could see Louie entering the club, he was alone, and Luke knew that it could mean only one thing; he didn't get her.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?" He asked as he took Louie into his office.

"Because I was a little busy." Louie ran his hand along his jawline and let out a breath. "You're going to need to take a seat mate."

"What's happened? Did you actually find her?" he did as he was told and sat behind his desk, but he sat on the edge. His heart was racing in anticipation.

"I missed her by seconds. She climbed out of a window and got away. But that's not what's cutting me up." He rested his hands on the desk and bit his top lip. "Her brother was there and while I was questioning them, he let slip that Tess is pregnant."

Luke thought back to the conversation he had with Tess about the possibility of giving Michael a sibling; was she eluding to the fact that she was pregnant. Was it possible that he was the father? He needed to know.

"How far along is she?"

"I don't know, he didn't know."

"Am I the dad?" When Louie shrugged, Luke fell deeper into the chair and buried his face into his hands. "If I'm the dad, I need to know."

"What if Cook is the father? Do you still want to get her back?"

At a time, Tess was willing to act as a parental figure to Michael, and if she did find her way back to Luke and he wasn't the father, he knew that he would have to do the same to get a bit of light back into his life.

"It doesn't matter if he's the father or not, we continue looking."

"Have we got any new leads?" Louie was starting to wonder if getting his revenge on Cook was worth all this leg work, the money was only a small bonus that he didn't need.

"Nothing yet, but they only left Glasgow. They can't go far."

"I think it's about time we use my connections, I've people up and down this country. I'll put the word out." Luke wasn't receptive, but eventually he gave him a nod of approval. "We'll find her. Just give me a bit of time."

Three weeks later…

Waking up in their own home, their first home together, felt amazing. They had more space than what they knew what to do with it, they only problem was going to be finding the funds to sustain themselves; but for now, they would make do with Cook's taxiing. What was in the forefront of their minds was finally hearing their child's heartbeat. Tess rolled onto Cook's body and lay her head on his chest, feeling his arms wrap around her made her grin; she couldn't help but feel giddy, she was thrilled. She had a couple of checks at the doctor and everything was well with their baby. The only thing that they hadn't had was an ultrasound and it was what they were most eager for; that first glimpse.

"Today's the day." She said as she kissed his chest.

"How are you feeling?" he watched her as she sat up, her legs down by his side.

"I'm excited, like when I first found out I was pregnant, I was so worried and nervous with everything that was going on but now, now that we're safe and we're in a good place," she placed her hands on his shoulders and took a deep breath, "I'm just so happy."

"It's nice seeing you like this," his hand travelled along her hip while he tucked the other underneath his head, "I think when I hear that heartbeat and see our kid on the screen, it'll really hit me."

"You are going to cry; I'd bet a tenner on it." She teased as she poked at his chest, wanting to get a rise out of him.

He rolled over, pinning her underneath his weight. "You don't even have a tenner to bet." He rested his head in between her chest and her chin and placed small kisses along her neck.

She closed her eyes and gripped onto his hair. "It was metaphorical." Tess pulled him away from her neck and kissed him deeply as she let her fingers trail down the middle of his back, keeping him close to her.

He broke the kiss and lifted his head away from her, looking down at her frustrated face with a smirk. "Was that the kind of reaction you were wanting?" When she nodded, he took her hands from his back and placed them above her head, holding them there. "I can be a tease too, Tess. My way's just more affective."

Cook tried to get up, but she wrapped her legs around his hips and held onto his arm. "You're not just going to leave this bed, are you?"

"We've got an appointment to get ready for." He reminded her with an expectant look.

She looked over at the alarm clock on the bedside table and turned back to him with a playful pout. "We've got plenty of time."

He threw the bedcovers over them and let go of her hands. "If we're late, I'm blaming you."

This was all too surreal, apart from the morning sickness and her clothes feeling a little tighter than usual, Tess didn't feel like she was pregnant; trying to stay safe and remain hidden from Luke had took away most of the bliss she should be feeling. She was excited from time to time when she spoke with Cook of their ideas of parenthood but not fully. She waited with bated breath and her eyes glued to the screen beside her as the nurse moved the device around her gelled-up belly. When the nurse finally found the baby, she turned up the sound to let them hear their baby's heartbeat more clearly. As she watched the screen, watching the baby move around inside her, she could feel her eyes welling up. Cook took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"That's our baby, Tess." He whispered into her ear, his voice a little shaky.

"I know," she laughed a little and wiped her eyes, "can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?"

"It's too early to tell, you're ten weeks along, I'll be able to tell you about halfway through your pregnancy." The nurse replied as she looked at the young couple. "The baby is healthy; you're running a little low on your iron, so I'll get the doctor to prescribe you some tablets and I'll see the two of you at your next ultrasound." She scribbled something down on her chart and handed Tess a few tissues to wipe the gel off her belly.

"Thank you." Cook waited for the nurse to leave the room and watched Tess as she got herself cleaned up and ready. "Ten weeks… It's already been ten weeks."

"Only another thirty to go." Tess rested her hand on his cheek and gazed down at him. "It's going to fly in, you know."

"That's the scary thing. I don't think I've ever held a new-born."

"It's fine, as long as you don't drop them." She smiled and shimmied off the hospital bed. "I've been thinking that maybe I should finish my degree online." She left the room and held the door open for Cook, looking at him over her shoulder. "I might have to repeat my final year, but I don't think anywhere will really hire me when I'm going to have to go off on maternity in a few months."

"Then maybe I should take Benjamin up on his offer, pay will probably be shit until I'm trained, but if it means that you don't have to get a silly little part time job to make ends meet, then I'll do it."

"Are you sure?" when he shrugged his shoulders, she looped her arm in his and let out a little sigh. "I think it would be good for you, instead of working into the early hours of the morning, you'd actually be able to have dinner with me every night."

"Oh, I'll still be taxiing on the side, I'm not going to let your dad keep paying our rent for that much longer and I want to set a bit of money aside so that when the baby's here, we can put it in, I don't know, a cot?"

"You can't be serious? You'll burn yourself out." She was a little annoyed, she didn't want him working himself to death and she wanted to be able to spend some quality time with him now that they weren't being chased.

"You will still see me, and it'll only be for a couple of months." He stopped outside the hospital and looked down at her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Just you focus on getting your degree and keeping growing that perfect little baby inside you and I'll worry about keeping a roof over our heads and food in the fridge. Is that a deal?"

She was a little sceptical, Tess was worrying that a wedge would develop between them but if she stopped Cook from doing what he wanted to do, it would only piss him off. "It's a deal, for now. Only until I get this degree and then you'll be stopping the taxiing."

Something was catching on the door as she tried to open it. Tess was just about able to get through and when she picked up the envelope, she could feel that it was their passports. Cook tried to peer over her shoulder at what was inside, but she turned around and raised a brow at him.

"Have a bit of patience. I can't wait to see what name Benjamin picked out for you." She flicked through the pages of Cook's new passport until she got to the identification. "I want you to guess what your new identity is."

He rolled his eyes and he kicked the door shut. "We're making a game out of this?"

"Yes, we are. Guess."

"I don't know Tess, Jimmy?"

"Jimmy Cook?" she let out a snort and pranced into the kitchen. "Guess again."

"How about you just let me look for myself?" he quickly grabbed the passport out of her hand with a victorious grin before he looked down at it. "Alexander Cook, Alex for short… I didn't think I looked like an Alex, but I can make it work." He leaned on the kitchen counter and nodded towards the envelope. "Did you get a new identity?"

She looked inside and took out her passport. "Nope, but we got two plane tickets for Wednesday morning… I guess we'll be telling my dad sooner rather than later."

"If we leave it any later, you're not going to be able to hide it. You're going to start showing soon."

She placed her fingers by her mouth and bit at her nails nervously. "Do you think you'd be able to tell him? He'll probably react to it better if it came from you."

"Your dad likes me, but I don't think he likes me that much. He's not going to react that badly; he might not even react badly at all. For all you know, he could be really excited to have a grandchild." Cook shrugged and played with his passport. "I think as long as you're happy and healthy, he'll be glad."

"I appreciate the optimism, but I don't think that's how things are going to go down." She placed her head into her hands. "I need to come up with something to say to him, I don't have as long as I thought I did."