Believing in What Was (#182 Negotiation)
Title: Believing in What Was
Prompt: #182 Negotiation
Author: ladygray99
Rating: PG13
Characters/Pairings: Charlie, Colby
Word count: 300
Warnings/Spoilers: Talk of Domestic Violence
Summary: Charlie has to believe.
Notes: Written for numb3rs100. This is part of the Blood Poisoning series.
Beta: none
Believing in What Was (#182 Negotiation)
Colby wasn't happy. Neither was Ian, or Karen. Of all the times Charlie could pick to start being assertive again.
"It will be up to the judge in the end." Karen said for the millionth time.
"I am not going to let Ada grow up knowing her father was responsible for sending her mother to jail."
Colby wanted to pull his hair out in frustration. "Charlie, you are not responsible for any of this." Charlie ignored him.
"Her lawyers are going to argue for probation anyway."
Karen rubbed her face. It was getting late. "Probation. Restraining order stays in place. Mandatory counseling. Supervised visits only after psychological evaluation."
"If she even wants those." Charlie mumbled.
"I'd gladly take it off the table. With the assault charges the FBI has pulled her from the consultants list."
"I've been there. That's going to do more damage in the long run than you know."
Karen flipped through the papers in front of her. "Lord, I wish you'd signed a prenup."
"Her parents wanted me to."
"You're lucky we've got leverage. Her lawyers are going to try to argue that community property should be counted from when you moved in together, instead of when you got married. You stand to lose a lot if it got in front of the wrong judge.
"I don't really care."
"Not now. Give it a year and you will."
Ada began to squirm on Charlie's lap. He lowered her gently to the carpet so she could practice her newest trick of commando crawling. Charlie watched her wiggle across the floor. "I know I married a good person. She was kind. She bent over backwards to help people she didn't even know. I need to believe, for Ada's sake, that the good person I married is still there somewhere."
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Prompt: #182 Negotiation
Author: ladygray99
Rating: PG13
Characters/Pairings: Charlie, Colby
Word count: 300
Warnings/Spoilers: Talk of Domestic Violence
Summary: Charlie has to believe.
Notes: Written for numb3rs100. This is part of the Blood Poisoning series.
Beta: none
Believing in What Was (#182 Negotiation)
Colby wasn't happy. Neither was Ian, or Karen. Of all the times Charlie could pick to start being assertive again.
"It will be up to the judge in the end." Karen said for the millionth time.
"I am not going to let Ada grow up knowing her father was responsible for sending her mother to jail."
Colby wanted to pull his hair out in frustration. "Charlie, you are not responsible for any of this." Charlie ignored him.
"Her lawyers are going to argue for probation anyway."
Karen rubbed her face. It was getting late. "Probation. Restraining order stays in place. Mandatory counseling. Supervised visits only after psychological evaluation."
"If she even wants those." Charlie mumbled.
"I'd gladly take it off the table. With the assault charges the FBI has pulled her from the consultants list."
"I've been there. That's going to do more damage in the long run than you know."
Karen flipped through the papers in front of her. "Lord, I wish you'd signed a prenup."
"Her parents wanted me to."
"You're lucky we've got leverage. Her lawyers are going to try to argue that community property should be counted from when you moved in together, instead of when you got married. You stand to lose a lot if it got in front of the wrong judge.
"I don't really care."
"Not now. Give it a year and you will."
Ada began to squirm on Charlie's lap. He lowered her gently to the carpet so she could practice her newest trick of commando crawling. Charlie watched her wiggle across the floor. "I know I married a good person. She was kind. She bent over backwards to help people she didn't even know. I need to believe, for Ada's sake, that the good person I married is still there somewhere."
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