Tessa Keene was a sweetheart through and through- pure-hearted, kind, and incapable of cruelty. She didn't have much, but she had Robby, and that was all she needed. He was her rock, her safe place, the one person she could always count on. But when...
The knock at the door was sharp, impatient. Johnny Lawrence groaned, rubbing a hand over his face before pushing himself off the couch. His beer was still cold in his grip, condensation dripping onto the floor as he made his way to the door. He yanked it open without a second thought.
A uniformed officer stood on his porch, posture stiff, eyes scanning him with the kind of judgment Johnny was used to. "Mr. Lawrence?" the officer asked.
Johnny squinted at him, taking a slow sip of his beer. "Yeah, that's me. What's this about?"
The officer flipped open a notepad. "We're looking into a missing juvenile—"
Johnny exhaled sharply, already irritated. "Look, I told you guys—I don't know where Robby is."
The officer shook his head, staring at Johnny. "This isn't about Robby. The missing person is a Tessa Keene."
Johnny froze. For a second, he wasn't sure he'd heard right. "What?" The word barely made it past his lips.
The officer glanced down at his notes. "The report was filed this afternoon by Shannon Keene, her mother, and Daniel LaRusso, listed as a guardian."
"Tessa's missing?" he repeated, like saying it out loud would make it make sense.
For the first time in a long time, Johnny Lawrence felt completely sober.
Johnny spent the night searching the streets of the Valley, driving aimlessly through neighborhoods, scanning sidewalks and alleyways, past playgrounds and bus stops—anywhere he thought a scared kid might go. Every dead end made his frustration grow, his grip on the wheel tightening until his knuckles turned white.
"Come on, Tessa," Johnny muttered to himself, the words slipping out like a prayer. "Where the hell are you?"
He wanted to keep searching, but exhaustion weighed on him, his vision blurring from hours of driving. His body ached with the need for rest, but the idea of going home without her felt like giving up.
Pulling into his apartment complex, Johnny sat in the car for a moment, staring blankly ahead, his mind buzzing. His apartment had never felt like much of a home, but tonight, it felt even emptier.
Dragging himself up towards his front door, he didn't even notice the girl leaning against it.
"Hey, Dad."
Johnny stopped cold. His head snapped up, heart hammering. For a second, he thought he imagined it. But there she was. Tessa stood just outside his door, arms wrapped around herself. She looked exhausted, uncertain, her frame seeming even smaller beneath the dim glow of the porch light.
"Tessa?" His voice cracked as he took a step toward her. Then he was moving fast, closing the distance in seconds, grabbing her and pulling her into a tight hug.
Tessa stood frozen, completely blindsided. Johnny never hugged her. Hell, half the time, she wasn't even sure he knew she existed. But now? Now he was holding onto her like she was something precious—like he was afraid she'd slip through his fingers if he let go.
Her arms hung limply at her sides, her mind struggling to catch up. This wasn't the reaction she'd expected. After a long moment, she let out a slow, uneven breath, her body loosening just a little.
Johnny pulled back enough to look at her, hands still gripping her shoulders. "Where the hell have you been?" His voice was rough, strained—thick with something she couldn't quite place. "I was out of my damn mind looking for you."
Tessa glanced away, her voice barely a whisper. "I... I didn't know where else to go." She hesitated, her eyes flicking up to meet his. "Can I stay with you?"
Johnny's heart thudded in his chest at the question, a tightness spreading through him. It was a question he wasn't sure he was ready for, but somehow, the way she said it—the vulnerability in her voice—made him want to be the father she needed, even if it felt like he was fumbling every step of the way.
He swallowed hard, not wanting to let her see how thrown off he was. "Yeah, kid. Of course." The words came out rougher than he intended, but it was the best he could do in the moment.
Tessa gave a small, almost unnoticeable nod, her eyes still avoiding his. Johnny didn't push. He just opened the door and stepped aside, letting her walk in first.
She hesitated in the entryway, looking around like she didn't quite belong. She'd never stayed here before—never even had a reason to.
Johnny rubbed a hand over his face. "Uh, I got a spare room," he muttered, suddenly feeling unprepared. He wasn't exactly set up for having a kid around. "It's not much, but it's yours if you want it."
Tessa blinked at him, clearly surprised. Then, with another small nod, she followed as he led her down the short hallway.
He pushed open the door to the spare room. It was mostly empty—just a bed, a dresser, and a chair piled with random junk he hadn't bothered to move. He cleared his throat, stepping inside to grab an old blanket off the chair.
"It's not, uh... fancy or anything," he said, handing it to her. "But it's got a bed, and the sheets are clean, so..." He trailed off, feeling like an idiot. He wasn't good at this.
Tessa stepped in slowly, her footsteps tentative, like she was still trying to figure out if this was real. The room felt unfamiliar to both of them—her in his space, him in the role of something he'd never been before. She placed the blanket on the bed, almost as if it was a safe spot to land, but she didn't sit. Instead, she moved to the window, staring out at the empty alleyway behind the building.
Johnny could feel the distance between them, but he couldn't figure out how to close it. He hovered in the doorway, watching her take it all in. "You hungry? Thirsty?"
She shook her head. "I just wanna sleep."
"Okay," he said, his voice rough, a silent tension hanging between them. He took a step toward the door, then stopped and glanced back. "I'll, uh... you get some rest."
Tessa didn't meet his gaze, her focus still fixed on the alleyway outside. She nodded slightly, her voice barely audible. "Thanks, Dad." The words were softer than he expected, quieter than she usually sounded, and they hit him harder than he cared to admit.
Johnny took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Yeah. Night, kid."
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authors note!
Johnny and Tess!! I can't wait to write more of them :)
