(Untitled)

[agirllost]

July 9
Kim's lying on the bed, eyes closed, arms wrapped loosely around Angie who was unable to sleep and climbed into bed in front of her. Chase stayed later at CTU, and after talking to Angie in the bar, Kim really wanted to spend more time with her daughter.
She couldn't imagine life without Angie now.
"I love you," she whispers, holding her

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[_righthandman_]

Chase closes the front door behind him, wondering why the living room's so dark.

"Kim?" he calls, trying not to wake Angie.

[agirllost]

She hears Chase and doesn't want to worry him.

"I'm in bed," she answers, feeling Angie begin to move. She glances at the clock, it's only 11.

[_righthandman_]

He leaves his shoes by the couch and slips into the bedroom.

"Hey, sweetie," he says quietly, seeing Angie waking up. "Did you have a nightmare?"

[agirllost]

"Daddy!" Angie wakes up in an instant, happy that her daddy's home and ready to play with her.

"Mommy made more cookies today and we saved you some, there's milk in the kitchen, we could have one now."
Her words are almost too fast.

Kim touches her head, "Angie, Daddy's had a long day - "

[_righthandman_]

Chase tries to look less weary, for Angie's sake. "I think it's a little late for cookies," he says, with a wry smile. "How about a hug instead?"

He sits down next to Kim, close enough to lean against her a little.

[agirllost]

"Daddy, you can't eat a hug," she points out, but hugs him anyway. "Is it too late for a drink of water? It was hot today," she looks at both of them, waiting for an answer.

Kim will wait until Angie's asleep to put her arm around him or let him show his exhaustion.

[_righthandman_]

"Hugs don't give you cavities, so they're better." He ruffles Angie's hair.

"Yeah, you can have some water." He wishes he could promise her that they can go swimming soon, but there's no way he can get her hopes up about that--even if the attacks subside, even if they stop altogether, the cleanup from the damage already done will take months, and he won't feel safe taking her to public places in the city for a long time.

He gets up sadly to fill a glass in the bathroom sink.

[agirllost]

Angie smiles, "Can we go out for ice cream tomorrow?" She calls to him. "You promised." she reminds Kim.

Kim sits up and puts an arm around her, watching Chase. "I know I promised, Angie, but it's much safer inside."

Angie pouts. "Grampa would take me for ice cream."

[_righthandman_]

Chase sighs. Jack has even more to worry about than the rest of them do right now.

"Grampa's real busy, Angie." He gives her the glass, making sure she can get her small hands around it without spilling it.

He'd thought that if he just left the field, he wouldn't have to constantly be breaking promises to his daughter.

"I'll pick up some ice cream from the store on my way home tomorrow," he says, trying to make it sound like an appealing substitute. "How's that?"

[agirllost]

"Oh." Angie says, and takes a sip of water, careful not to spill it on the bed.

For a moment Kim simply observes them together, wondering if Angie thinks they regret her being there, and maybe she thought they didn't want her because they had to break so many promises.

"Will there be whipped cream?" Angie's voice goes a little serious. Whipped cream is not something to joke about.

[_righthandman_]

"Whipped cream and chocolate sauce," says Chase solemnly. He understands the gravity of ice cream. "Promise."

He rubs her back. "We just have to be...more careful about things these days. It's better if we stay inside more. I know it's no fun, but we have to deal with it for now, okay?"

[agirllost]

"Pinky promise?" Angie takes another sip of water and looks up at him.

Kim's heart breaks a little as she sees that even at this age, Angie understands there's danger.

"But there're no sprinklers inside."