A/N: UPDATED UPDATED UPDATED (does happy dance). This chapter is again told from Flack's point of view, because this whole chapter takes place on a Monday, when he has Charlotte. Something happens to a main character, and you'll see the outpouring of emotions from someone who's not quite used to them.

Don't own them, never will, original characters are mine, song belongs to Our Lady Peace, haven't we been through this already?

Down here in the atmosphere
Garbage and city lights
Gonna save you're tired soul
You're gonna save our lives
Turn on the radio to
Find you in satellite
I'm waiting for the sky to fall
I'm waiting for a sign

Somewhere Out There- Our Lady Peace

After dropping Charlotte off at daycare the following Monday I went into the precinct with the notion that this was going to be a normal day.

Okay, what defines normal?

Let's just say I was hoping for something that didn't involve fifty million dollar drug busts or a girl with her head wrapped in packing tape.

Well I didn't get either of those, but it wasn't a walk in the park either. I ended up stuck at my desk with a shitload of paperwork I'd been neglecting. Couldn't be chasing the bad guys all the time, could I?

I think it was about one in the afternoon when I got a call directly to my cell phone. That didn't happen at work very often, so something was definitely up.

As I'm sure Angela has told you, we have video phones, it's the easiest way to communicate. I turned on the screen and saw Angela cowering in the bathroom.

"What's wrong?" I signed.

"Damon is trying to kill me…" she frantically signed.

"We'll be right there…" I grabbed Danny, Mac, and Lindsay, as well as backup and we busted down the door of her apartment, where we found Damon knocked out on the floor.

I flicked the lights to let her know we were here. She crawled out of the bathroom, her face bloodied and bruised.

"Oh Angela…" I went to her and bent down with my arm around her shoulder. "Did he touch you?"

"He tried…" she told me, her lisp more pronounced as she spoke. Like I said she didn't like to speak very often, it was very uncomfortable.

"Did you do that?" I signed, indicating Damon. I looked over and saw he was beaten badly, and there was blood rushing from his ear. He was dead.

Thank God.

She nodded as tears began to flow down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't know who else to call..." her hands flew as she tried to explain herself.

I held up my own hand to stop her. Bending down, I picked her up and carried her out to the waiting ambulance as Mac and Danny secured the scene. I'd never liked the guy… and when Angela had gotten to know him a little better I really started to dislike him. He seemed controlling, and even Charlotte had told me that he scared her. I guess Angela hadn't realized just how much he would affect their lives, or how much her relationship with Damon was hurting Charlotte.

As I carried her to the ambulance I couldn't help but think that I was carrying my baby girl in my arms. Charlotte wrapped her arms around my neck as I carried her up the stairs each night, and I was carrying Angela the same way. I could feel her body beginning to relax, but she was still very tense. She turned her head at every little step, or if she felt someone behind us.

She went off to the hospital in the back of the ambulance, and I followed in my squad car. As I drove, I called my mother, Stephanie.

"Hey Ma," I greeted her. "Can you pick up Charlotte from daycare today?" I listened to her response. "No, I hafta work late…" Again, I waited. "No, Angela doesn't have her till the weekend…" Waiting, waiting, waiting… "I'll pick her up from your place as soon as I can, thanks Ma. I'll call her daycare; let 'em know what's going on."

I ended the call to my mother and immediately dialed her daycare center.

"Hello, Manhattan Beach Daycare Center, Elizabeth Rankin speaking…"

"Hi Elizabeth, its Don Flack calling…" I had to remain professional here.

"Hi Don, what can I do for you?"

"Yes, well, I have to work late tonight, so Charlotte's grandmother will be picking her up."

"Okay, let me just find her file here," there were sounds of a drawer opening and papers rustling. "Alright, Stephanie Flack is her grandmother, correct?"

"Yes."

"Okay, she's listed as alternate pick-up, yeah, that should be no problem…"

"Alright then, thanks Elizabeth."

"Take care, now." She hung up the same time I did.

About half an hour later, after she'd been stabilized, I was sitting with Angela in her hospital room, a breathing tube up her nose, her cuts stitched, and her eyes puffy.

"Does Charlotte know?" she signed.

I shook my head. "My mom is picking her up after daycare today."

"Does she know what happened?"

Again, I shook my head no. "I told her I had to work late." I signed, handing her two aspirin and a cup of water. "Want to tell me what happened?"

"Aren't you too close to the case?" she asked. "I thought family members couldn't interview family members."

"In this case, I just want to know what happened." My hands were flying. "Ex-wife or not Angela, I still care about you a great deal…"

Angela exhaled sharply. She knew I had never stopped caring about her, and I never would. She was the mother of my child, and I would always love her for giving me such a precious gift. As my wife she had loved me and stood by me through tough times.

And now, even as her ex-husband, it was my turn.

It was my turn to be strong for her.