The Fighters Girl

9.

"Hey, baby," he said breathlessly. Liz and Cane shared a look, which Hawk ignored.

"Hey! I'm so sorry I'm so late calling you, I had to, uh, do something," Hazel answered back in her sweet, husky voice.

"No problem, I was just warming up," Hawk said.

"Who's that, Uncle Hawk?" Ryker asked loudly. Considering Hawk was still holding him, Hazel heard.

"Is that Ryker?" she whispered. Hawk had told her all about the kid, and she desperately wanted to meet him.

"This is hazel, Ryk ,you want to talk to her?" Hawk asked.

Ryker nodded enthusiastically. He had also heard much about this Hazel.

Hawk handed Ryker the phone and watched the kids face.

"Hi."

"Yes."

"Okay."

He pulled the phone away from his ear a little and gave Hawk a serious look.

"Put me down," he stated. Hawk's brows drew together and he put him down. Ryker immediately walked over to the door to the training room and opened it, revealing Hazel holding her cell phone to her ear. She sent a shocked Hawk a wink and then bent down to shake Ryker's hand.

"Hi, I'm Hazel."

"What is she doing here?' Cane hissed to Hawk.

"I have no clue," Hawk answered in a totally different tone than that of his mentor's. He rushed forward and pulled Hazel into a hug, as if it had been a year since he'd last seen her instead of three days. She reciprocated and they both took a deep breath to let it settle in. When he released her, she looked at Cane and smiled.

"Hi, I'm Hazel," she said, extending her hand. Cane's stony face didn't yield.

"I know," he said, taking her hand. When he pulled back with a disgruntled look on his face, Hawk knew that Hazel had a good handshake. Liz's expression wasn't any more generous when she pulled back from her own handshake with Hazel.

Hawk took a minute to take in all that was Hazel a sheer cream blouse and black leggings and grinned. She was his.

"So, umm," Hazel started, sensing the hostility. Hawk sent Cane and Liz the death glare, which they ignored. "I didn't really, uh, think about whether or not I was going to stay for the fight. I was just...thinking about you, I guess, and then I remembered you were fighting here, and this is only about an hour drive from my house, so, yeah."

Hazel bit her lip and averted her eyes. Hawk knew that it cost her to admit that she had been thinking about him, so he overlooked it, though he was dancing inside.

"Baby, it's supposed to be at least an hour and a half drive, you're just a terrifying driver," he said in a sincere tone.

Hazel's head snapped up and her eyes widened with incredulousness while her mouth popped open in amusement.

"Me?" she screeched. "I literally fear for my life with you behind the wheel."

Hawk raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I wouldn't make such a big deal about driving if you hadn't totally soccer mom'd me when you picked me up from the airport, remember."

Hazel tossed her head back and laughed, placing a hand lightly on hawk's bicep.

"Oh my God, yes. We had to drive back to the stoplight to look for your masculinity," she giggled.

"Hey, now," Hawk said, frowning, at the same time wrapping an arm firmly around her waist to pull her in closer.

"You glared at me...for like a full three minutes," she continued, now laughing so hard she could feel herself building abs. Hawk grinned despite the fact that he was supposed to be irritated.

"Well, I think I had every right to glare. You might as well have taken my pants off and laughed at my dick while you were at it."

"Okay, first of all, the two scenarios are not even comparable. Second of all, I haven't seen it, but I doubt there's anything to laugh at."

Cane and Liz had been watching the exchange with weird expressions that Hawk was going to ask about when a man with a headset came into the room.

"You're on in thirty seconds, Mr. Davila," he announced before promptly leaving.

"You're staying for the fight, right?" Hawk asked, looking so much like a little boy that Hazel couldn't say no.

"Sure, but where will I-"

"With us," Liz cut in, her expression only slightly more welcoming than before.

Cane simply grunted.

Hazel offered them a weak smile and Hawk grinned.

"This'll be fun."