Disclaimer: I don't own DP

Author's Note: I started writing a multichapter not too long ago, and without thinking, I just threw Tucker's parents into a tiny scene. Quite surprisingly, I found I really love writing Tucker's parents. Why? I have no idea. I didn't even know Tucker's mom's name was Angela until I Wiki'd it (I thought it was Janice, lol), but yeah, they definitely qualify as underappreciated. There's just so much potential, so phanniemay gave me the perfect excuse to write more of them. xD

Inspired by two Phanniemay prompts: "Underappreciated" (as mentioned above) and "Moms" (in progress). :) Enjoy!

Part One

A soft knock at the front door jolted Angela from her pleasant 10 PM stupor, and after shooting a startled look over her shoulder, she cocked an eyebrow at her husband. "Who on earth could that be so late?" she asked, unraveling herself from the blanket she'd cocooned herself in.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Tucker's not expecting anyone, is he?"

"He's grounded, remember, dear?"

"Oh."

Smiling lightly, Angela made her way to the door as Maurice, being the nosy thing he was, muted the TV and made a show of picking up one of last week's newspapers. She sighed inwardly. Tucker must have left it lying around after his most recent "Current Events" assignment. She'd have to remember to scold him for that later: she was pretty sure she'd told him multiple times to—

"Danny?" Angela asked in surprise, swinging the door open wider.

"Um, hi, Mrs. Foley," he said, licking his lips. If Angela hadn't been so aware of the fact he was wearing nothing more than a thin t-shirt in the middle of December, she would have noticed that his smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Jesus Christ, Danny, come inside!" she ordered instantly. "What were you thinking? Going outside in the middle of winter without a jacket? It's supposed to get below zero tonight." Gently, she took him by the shoulder and led him into the warmth, where Maurice forewent all pretenses and stood waiting for them.

"'m sorry," Danny mumbled, and Angela felt him a full-body shudder possess the boy. He was quaking, yet his teeth did not chatter. Abruptly, she had the sense that something was very, very wrong. Her immediate concern had been for his health, but a second look told her she had far more to be concerned about than his lack of a coat.

"I'm sorry to just randomly…I mean, I—I would have called ahead of time," Danny stuttered apologetically. Dread pooled in her stomach. "But I—kinda left my phone, and um—"

"That's quite alright, dear," Angela said comfortingly, trying to conceal the worry in her tone. "You know you're always welcome here." And it was true. Danny was a second son to her.

Angela met her husband's gaze momentarily. Maurice's brow was furrowed, and he asked hesitantly, "Is everything alright, Danny?"

"I—I…" Danny swallowed thickly and averted his eyes. Angela had never seen those carefree blue eyes so conflicted and afraid before in her life. "I'm not sure," he finally admitted in a whisper.

"Danny…"

"Mom?" Tucker, whose curiosity seemed to have drawn him out of his room, called from the top of the staircase. "Who—?" He blinked in confusion upon seeing his friend, but when Danny lifted his eyes, something passed between them. A startling look of comprehension crossed Tucker's face. "Oh, shit," her son breathed.

If anything, Angela's heart dropped further, and wild theories, theories she'd been trying to keep at bay, theories she and Maddie had discussed multiple times over, scrambled through her mind like gremlins.

Maybe…Maybe he finally…

Maurice kneaded her shoulders, and as Tucker vaulted down the stairs and came up to Danny, she pushed away her growing desire to demand what was going on here. "Take a seat. Please. I'll make some hot cocoa for us."

Danny nodded, and finally flicking his gaze away from Tucker, he asked, "Um…Is—Is it possible I can bunk here tonight?"

Maurice tensed behind her, just as stricken as she was at how small Danny appeared in that one moment. Before she could respond with an of course, of course, the phone began to ring, and Danny jumped violently, his blue eyes wild with panic. Automatically, she reached out to him. "That'll be my mom, Mrs. Foley," he explained, nearly stumbling over his words. "You can tell her whatever you want, but please, please, I just need a night. That's all I ask."

She might have nodded; she might have offered him a smile. She wasn't entirely sure. Her mind was reeling when she darted into the kitchen to answer the phone. "Hello?"

Angela? This is Maddie. Her friend was speaking nearly as fast and in as frenzied of a tone as Danny had been moments before. There was…a misunderstanding at the house, and Danny—

"He's here," Angela consoled. Maddie released a hoarse thank heavens. "And he's perfectly alright, except… he looked as though he'd been witness to a murder, Maddie."

Silence on the other end. Angela peeked through the threshold and saw Tucker and Danny sitting side by side on the couch. Maurice sat in front of them, his elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward. His soothing voice reached her even from that distance. Danny looked visibly less shaken, too. Maurice had that effect on people.

"He was upset, but Maurice and Tucker are with him now. Is…is everything alright, Maddie?" she asked when no response seemed forthcoming. Normally, Angela was not one to pry, but she and Maddie had been best friends since college. They had been each other's bridesmaids and hadn't kept any secrets from each other since. "What happened?"

God, Ang, Maddie choked, I—I'm not sure. I don't…

"He said much of the same, you know."

What—What else has he said?

"Not much else, but he did ask for one night."

I…I don't blame him. Is it alright if he stays with you?

"Of course, Maddie." Angela lowered her voice. "Did he finally tell you tonight?"

Maddie snorted weakly. It wasn't so much him telling me as it was…me accidentally finding out. Ang, it's…nothing could have prepared me for this.

Angela's eyes strayed back to Danny and Tucker. "Drugs?" she attempted.

No, no, Ang. No drugs, no gangs. Tucker and Sam are just as innocent of that, I assure you. Angela couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but out of respect for her friend and Danny, she did not question further. The details would have to wait. I can't…explain how relieved I am…and how awful I feel.

"You're not to blame for this!" she protested instantly.

Danny tried…but Jack and I—Oh, damn, one moment, Angie. Angela assumed Maddie put the phone down and paced some distance away, but she could hear her friend bellowing to her husband about Danny's whereabouts, followed by a command to call their daughter.

Sorry about that, Maddie apologized when she returned. Jack and I…we blame ourselves. God, we are such idiots, and we—we drove him away tonight. We messed up. Badly.

Feeling as though she was floundering in deep water, Angela comforted her old friend as she struggled to pull herself together. "Listen, Maddie, it'll be alright. I think—I think Danny is not the only one who needs a night. Take this night. Think it over. Talk with Jack. You'll work through this, and you know Maurice and I are always here to help."

Thank you, Ang, her friend whispered in utter gratitude. You're right. It will do us all good. Will you—will you tell Danny that he can have all the time he needs? And…just ask him to call if he goes anywhere else?

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Angela huffed. "He left your house without a coat."

For some reason, that really seemed to amuse Maddie, and it was with more than a little bit of confusion at her friend's hilarity that she said her "goodbye"s and "call if you need anything"s. Her mind replayed her conversation with Maddie on repeat as she made the hot chocolate she'd promised, and a few minutes later, she walked out of the kitchen with a tray of mugs to give to each of the boys in the family room.

Danny accepted his meekly. "How—how does Mom sound, Mrs. Foley?" he asked, his eyes pierced through her. They looked far too mature to belong to the same little boy she'd watched grow up alongside her son.

They were not eyes that belonged to someone who'd take sugar-coating, so she said, "I won't lie to you, Danny. She sounded just as upset and confused as you did when you came in." The boy winced, and Tucker rubbed his shoulder sympathetically. "She is really worried about you."

"I—I did run off without telling them where I was going," he admitted, a hint of a sheepish smile quirking at his lips. "Did she say anything else?"

"That she was relieved you weren't into drugs or gangs." She didn't know what possessed her to say it, but her impulsiveness paid off. Danny's eyebrows rocketed skyward, and he looked equal parts amused and bizarrely happy. Even Tucker looked as though he was hiding a smirk.

"And she told me to tell you you have all the time you need. She will be ready to talk when you are."

His shoulders sagged with relief, and he leaned back into the couch cushions. "Thank you," Danny whispered, dragging his hand through his hair. "I—I really appreciate it, especially…when I can't really give you an explanation. Not yet, at least."

This evoked a strange response from Tucker. "Dude!"

Danny's glare silenced him, interestingly enough, and Angela recognized the message there.

We'll talk about this when we're alone.

No doubt they had a lot to talk about, Angela mused. She had suspected Tucker had been in on "it," and now she realized that it truly wouldn't be long until she found out what "it" exactly was her son had been doing with Danny and Sam.

As long as they weren't getting themselves hurt or doing anything illegal—and Maddie had put a majority of those fears to rest—she could be patient. Squeezing Danny's shoulder, Angela smiled. "I don't expect you to offer an explanation, Danny, not when you and your family need to settle things with each other first."

"But I owe you one," Danny amended resolvedly. His eyes flickered to Tucker again. "God, do I owe it to you."

tbc...