Pretty emotional chapter but please enjoy. And please review!

Their Second Chance

Chapter 12

Andrea called Mike to tell him that she was working late so it was just him

and Hannah. He fixed dinner and at Hannah's request, read her Bible to her. It had been a lot of years since he had even opened up a Bible and it reminded him a lot of his mom. He was in an odd mood since he had read Abby's letter. Hannah had fallen asleep and he carried her into her bed and tucked her in. He took Clumsy outside and then put her in her crate. He was alone and wishing that Andrea would come home because he didn't like being alone in his thoughts. Mike wasn't sure how Andrea had done it. All he could think about was the twenty four hours that he was home before he deployed and all the things he failed to say.

Mike had never been so mad. Abby had called him and he and Christine both thought she was spending the night with a friend. He knew as soon as he heard her voice that she was drunk. She had told him that she had been drinking and wanted picked up. She hung up and texted him the address. Christine had reminded him that they had told her that if she called, one of them would get her if she was ever in that position so that she didn't ride with a drunk driver or drive drunk. He was still livid. He had pulled up to the house that she had sent him the address to and jumped out, slamming the car door. Abby had met him at the porch steps, swaying on her feet. He grabbed her elbow a little too roughly and practically dragged her back to the car.

"Ouch, Dad! You're hurting me!"

"Not half as much as alcohol poisoning, being raped and assaulted or being in a car accident would hurt. Get in the car now!"

"You and Mom said…"

"Yeah, I know. And we said that on the assumption that you were a good kid and wouldn't be caught in a situation like this."

"Nana said…"

"Yeah, I know. She probably told you that I had come home drunk more than once but I am also a guy. The chances of something happening to you are far greater."

"That's a double standard."

"Maybe so. Now shut up and when we get to the house, go straight to your room. I don't want to see your face until morning."

Abby had stared out the window the rest of the car ride back and as ordered, she went straight to her bedroom and slammed the door. Christine had just gotten Lucas settled down and the slamming door had instantly woke him back up. Lucas had severe insomnia at times and when sleep was finally accomplished, they all would try to be as quiet as possible. Abby had messed that up.

"Mike, why don't you get Lucas settled back down and I will get Hannah's breathing treatment for her?"

"Okay. Abby is grounded to her room until morning and I will figure out what to do before then."

"Mike, we have told her repeatedly to call us if she ever finds herself in a situation like that. She did just what we had told her."

"She's thirteen. She did the right thing by calling us but a right doesn't fix a wrong. She should have not been at that party and she shouldn't have gotten drunk. Why did you let her go to that party? I deploy in two days."

"I wasn't aware that she would be going to a party. I thought she was going to a slumber party. And I am well aware that you're deploying. Choose the punishment carefully because I will be the one to enforce it. I will agree that she shouldn't have lied to us and she definitely shouldn't have gotten drunk."

"So what happens if we don't punish her for this and she pulls this same stunt while I am deployed? You have enough to deal with when I'm gone."

"Agreed on that. I'm not saying don't punish her but we need to acknowledge the one good thing she did. Just be careful because you leave in two days and do you really want things on a sour note with Abby when you leave."

"She needs to think things through. She's impulsive and immature."

"I wonder where the impulsiveness came from? And she's thirteen. Thirteen year old girls are not known for their maturity. She showed enough maturity to know that she shouldn't ride with a drunk driver. And why was she rubbing her elbow? Did she fall?"

"No."

"Mike?"

"I pulled her by the elbow. No big deal."

"You pulled her hard enough to make that elbow hurt. Mike, you have never one time laid an abusive hand on any of us, so don't start now. You also don't realize how strong you are. What was it you bench pressed? Three hundred pounds? Abby is small boned and you manhandled her. Not so different than my dad."

"That's a low blow."

"Yeah, it is but maybe you'll think about it. Go to Lucas."

Mike was ashamed of himself. The next day, when he woke Abby up, she had a handprint bruise on her arm. Big dark blue and purple bruises dotted her elbow and Mike hadn't even acknowledged it. He was too busy lecturing his thirteen year old as she threw up into the toilet. Christine had woke up, got Abby an ice bag for her arm and pulled her long hair away as she dry heaved into the toilet. Mike just kept lecturing.

"Getting drunk isn't so much fun now is it?"

"No."

"You are going to just have to suffer through it. No remedies for a hangover from me."

"Mike…"

"NO! I'm done with you making excuses for her. She needs to learn that there are repercussions for her actions. God only knows what you've allowed her to get away with while I'm gone."

"This is a first time, Dad…"

"Maybe but the next time, it'll be the first time you try weed, then something more hard core, or the first time you have sex…unless you've already done that. Christine, is she on birth control? I don't particularly want to raise my grandkid. My own kid is bad enough."

"Geez, Dad. You have so much faith in me."

"You keep screwing up and so no, I don't."

"I get it. I'm a screw up and you hate me. I'm not Hannah or Lucas. Well, guess what? I hate you and I don't want to see your face either!"

"Abigail Elizabeth Slattery, apologize to your father this second!"

Instead of apologizing, Abby ducked around both her parents and slammed the door into her bedroom. Mike didn't even bother following her and he didn't bothering correcting her assumption that he hated her. Instead, he spent the day with Hannah and Lucas. Christine stayed home, washing and ironing his uniforms and packing his bags. If Abby came out her bedroom while he was out with the younger kids, he didn't know about it. She choose not to eat supper that night. Mike tucked Hannah and Lucas in and told them both how much he loved them and how much he would miss them. He stayed in their rooms until they fell asleep, cuddling with them and giving them hugs and kisses. When he walked by Abby's bedroom door; he just sneered at it. Christine was ready for bed and still awake, waiting for him. His bags were at the end of their bed.

"What time do you have to leave in the morning?"

"I have to be out of the door by six."

"Do you want me to wake the kids up?"

"No. Let them sleep. I've said my goodbyes."

"To Hannah and Lucas. What about Abby?"

"Why would I say goodbye to her? Remember, I hate her and she hates me?"

"Mike, you don't hate her and you know it. You shouldn't leave with this fight between the two of you. It's not healthy and you and I both know, anything can happen to you out there. Do you really want those to be the last words between you and your daughter?"

"She is very aware that I'm leaving in the morning. She had all day to come find me and apologize but she didn't. So apparently she wanted those to be the last words before a deployment."

"You were out most of the day with Hannah and Lucas. She did come out and while she would never admit it, she was looking for you. Now, remember who the adult is. Maybe you need to extend the olive branch?"

"Or maybe she needs to buck up? She made an adult decision when she drank, maybe she needs to make another adult decision and apologize. Instead she is acting like a spoiled, little bit…"

"Mike, she is your daughter! If that is your opinion of her, then you are more like my dad then I thought. I guess I'll remind you of her good qualities."

"Don't bother because right now, there are none. Now, off subject. Since it's my last night at home before deployment, do we want to go on with our little tradition? I like this nightgown, let me unbutton…"

"Nope. You're out of luck. I might consider having sex with you if you go fix things with Abby. She's upset and she wants her dad, not the Commander in the U.S. Navy. She isn't a sailor and you treat her like she is."

"Then we are at a stalemate because I am not going in there. She has to come to me. And withholding sex? Really, Christine? Since when did you do that?"

"Now. It's something you enjoy and it's one of the few things I can keep from you. Now, since you have to be awake so early, you had better go to sleep. Wake me up in the morning before you leave."

"No chance I'm going to talk you into our tradition? It's almost like a bad omen to not do it. We've enjoyed this since my first deployment."

"There is a chance if you swallow your damn pride and go talk to your daughter. It's a simple sentence that will fix it; 'I screwed up, Abby, I'm sorry and I love you.' Simple."

"Not happening."

"Then neither is our tradition. You'll just have to do without the next four or five months, unless of course you find some young ensign who wants to further her career."

"Another low blow. I have never looked at another woman."

"Well, now you know how I feel when you accused me of sleeping with my boss. I had not nor will I ever look at another man but you made me feel like a cheap whore. The same thing you did to your daughter this morning. You do realize, I had to give her the sex talk this morning because of that little comment? She hasn't started her period."

"I assumed that you had already done that and she had started."

"You don't pay attention to her. She isn't there yet. Now, all she knows is that her own father thinks that she is sleeping around. She's a good girl and she deserves a father that thinks she will always be his little girl. At the moment you don't deserve any of those kids."

"She's still my little girl. I just don't want her out drinking and having sex."

"Then treat her like you love her and only want what's best for her. Not like how you have been. If you don't fix things quickly, you will lose her and I don't think you can live with yourself if that happens."

Christine had been right. He had lost Abby. She hadn't thought it would be to death but he had lost her all the same. Given her letter; she knew that he loved her but it only made Mike feel slightly better. He should have manned up and talked to his thirteen year old. Instead; he acted like he was the thirteen year old. He had assumed he would be home within a few months and they would all be together again. He would patch things up with Abby. He was completely wrong.

It was twenty until six. Christine was awake and getting ready for the day. She would see him off but encouraged him to take a moment with all three kids. He tucked Lucas back into bed because blanket and sheet was practically on the floor. Hannah barely moved at night and so all he had to do was kiss her on the head like he had with Lucas. When he stepped into Abby's bedroom, he immediately noticed how innocent she looked. When he got closer; he realized that her face was red and tear splotched. She had cried herself to sleep. Mike should have woke her up and took the last twenty minutes he had and talked to her but he didn't. He smoothed the hair off her face and walked away. As he walked out of the bedroom; he glanced down at her dresser. There was a picture of him holding her when she was about two, giving her a kiss on the forehead. She had been adorable.

Mike was sitting on the couch staring off into space when Andrea walked in. She dropped her purse and keys on the table by the door and stood looking at him for a minute. He looked completely forlorn about something. Andrea knew he was still going through the grieving process for Christine and his kids. He wouldn't allow himself to grieve while he was in the Med. They had been friends for years and Andrea knew how much he loved his family. She thought about just going to her own bedroom and giving him the privacy he might need; but instead sit down next to him to offer him the same friendship he had offered her on many occasions. The difference was that she put her arm around him and rubbed his shoulder.

"Which one are you thinking about?"

"Abby."

"Talk about it, Mike. You've encouraged me to talk about Lily many times and I always felt better after."

"Do you ever wonder why you survived and not Lily or Bill?"

"Yeah. What made me so special and not them?"

"Yeah. I always figured it would be me first. I was a cop and then I was in the Navy. It never, one time occurred to me that I would outlive two of my kids. And not to mention; my two healthy kids. Christine and I were not necessarily prepared to lose Hannah but we knew it might happen. But instead; I'm here with the sick child who may not survive into adulthood and what happens then? I'll be alone."

"You have a lot of friends who love you, Mike. You won't be alone. And you need to fixate on that she is still alive."

"True. I was a crappy father and maybe I deserve this but my kids didn't. They deserved to grow up, go to college, fall head over heels in love, get married, and have kids. Grow old. And now they won't have that."

"Hannah might. And as far as you being a crappy father, I saw you with those kids and I've seen you with Hannah the past couple days. You're an amazing dad."

"I called Abby a whore and a bitch. Alluded to her that I hated her. Not such an amazing dad. My little girl died thinking that I thought those things about her."

"I'm sure Abby knew better. What happened to make you say those things?"

"She called from a party, drunk. Christine and I had always told her to do that rather than riding with a drunk driver or driving drunk. I lectured her about it. Asked Christine if she was on birth control. What I didn't know was that she hadn't even started her period. She was a typical thirteen year old and told me that she hated me and that I hated her. I left for the Arctic before I corrected it. I just assumed I would come home and everything would be okay. I didn't tell her goodbye, didn't spend any time with her that last day and I definitely didn't tell her that I loved her. Definitely not such a good dad."

"Okay, I will admit that you screwed up on that but I also know that Abby knew that you loved her. If she didn't, she wouldn't have called you. Was it you or Christine, she called?"

"Me."

"That tells me that even though she knew she would be in trouble, she trusted you when she was vulnerable."

"Yeah, maybe. She cried herself to sleep the night before I left. I don't know why because I didn't wake her up like I should have; but before I left the house that morning when we left for the Arctic, I checked on her. I had tucked Hannah and Lucas in; stayed with them until they fell asleep and then gave them both a kiss before I left. With Abby, I did go into her room and her face was all red and tear splotched, and was still wet. I should have woke her up but I didn't. I walked away from her. I had twenty minutes before I left and I didn't take advantage of it."

"Mike, you'll have to live with that. I'm sorry but you will. I do know something though, if her face was still wet and red; when you were in there, she may have been awake."

"It's a possibility. She was a pretty light sleeper."

"Then I would say she knew you were there and that probably meant a lot to her. Yes, you should have woke her up and talked to her but that girl? She knew."

"She had a note in Hannah's picture too. It was hard to read but she told me in it that she loved me and that she knew I loved her. Like Christine, she was dying when she wrote it. I think what bothers me most now is the fact that she knew she was dying and was so strangely peaceful about it. Weird for a thirteen year old."

"I'm glad she was that peaceful about her own death. I hope Lily was that peaceful."

"Oh, I hope so too. Sorry if me bringing this up is bringing up stuff concerning Lily."

"Mike, you helped me a lot, dealing with Bill and Lily's deaths. In a lot of ways I had it easy. You didn't. You had to worry for years if they were out there somewhere. And you are still dealing with the ramifications with Hannah. Don't fixate on that last day with Abby and remember all the good times. Remember our crew picnic before we deployed? The kids got in a water balloon fight and Abby was soaked. She came running up to you and gave you a big hug, getting you all wet. And you didn't mind in the least."

"I hadn't thought of that. She did the same thing to her mom. We were all wet. Hannah and Lucas had ended up in the middle of the water balloon fight too. It was an interesting trip home."

"I bet."

"When she was about…eight, Christine's sister had a baby. Husband had just left her and so Christine went and helped her. I had the kids. Abby decided one evening that I didn't need to cook dinner because Hannah was also sick. She fixed these brownies for supper and was so proud of them but she put too much water in them. I didn't have the heart to tell her that she had messed them up. I got a bowl of ice cream and just mixed it all up. It was kind of awful but she was just so proud of them."

"And you ate every bite too?"

"Yep and got seconds."

"That's a good dad."

"She wanted leftover brownies the next night. Fortunately Christine came back that next day and discreetly replaced those with some she made that were more edible. Abby never knew."

"And gave her a baking lesson?"

"Yep. The next batch of brownies were much better."

"Did you ever tell her?"

"How awful the first batch was? No. She thought the ones Christine made were the same ones."

"How funny."

"It was. So, I got the framing done for the shower. I'll put the concrete board on tomorrow and then start laying the tile. Did you want anything specific on the vanity?"

"Since you're building it; I'd like it to be a bit taller. I hate bending down. I like how tall the counters are in the kitchen. Something similar."

"Oh that's easy. Anything else?"

"Deeper drawers?"

"Okay. They will be dovetailed."

"Dovetailed? It sounds a little delicate for someone like you?"

"No nails or glue. The pieces will fit together. It fits with the age of this house."

"It sounds pretty but you don't have to put that much work into it. It sounds hard."

"I will do it. A job isn't worth doing if it isn't going to be done well. And I enjoy it. It's cathartic. Takes my mind off everything."

"Alright then. Did Tom help you?"

"Tom can't drive a nail or drill a screw. I would have never thought that he was that inept at home repairs."

"So what did he do?"

"Sit and talked. Looked after Hannah but she refused to acknowledge him."

"Did she have a bad day?"

"No. She just avoided him. He thinks she's scared that he'll make me deploy again. She doesn't understand it."

"Poor kid."

"Yeah, I guess she turned her back on him. I was going to talk to her about it but Tom just said to let it rest."

"Probably a good idea. She is just scared. She'll come around."

"I hope. Once he left, she started talking again. She's still quiet but she's getting better."

"She has a doctor's appointment coming up. I'm interested to see how it goes."

"You are planning on being there?"

"If you want me to be then yes but I didn't want to overstep. I'm just a friend."

"You are a great friend who gave my daughter a home and love when no one else would. I want you there and I think she will too. She loves you and her dad isn't too far behind her. I'd better get to bed. Long day tomorrow."

"Thanks, Mike. You'll be okay? You were pretty blue about Abby."

"Okay has a new definition. I'm trying to focus on the good stuff with Abby. God knows there was plenty of it. She gave me a lot of happiness."

"Just focus on that and ignore that last forty eight hours."

"I'm trying. Thanks." It shocked Andrea when Mike pulled her into another hug after they stood up. He seemed to be leaning into her and she let him. Her legs were turning into jello again due to the proximity and how he smelled. He smelled like coffee and wood and it was intoxicating. She started to pull away but for whatever reason turned her face towards him and was shocked when he kissed her very gently on the lips. It was brief, a lot briefer than what she wanted it to be. He pulled away and then walked away, mumbling something as he exited the room. All Andrea could think about was how she wanted him to kiss her like that again.