Chapter 29

"Daddy? Daddy, are you awake?" Jon McCoy woke to a voice whispering loudly in his ear and a hand shaking him insistently.

He opened his eyes to find Morgan leaning over him. "Morgan? What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you're awake. We should hurry, Daddy! What if Karen and everybody leaves before we get there?" Morgan asked worriedly.

Jon made a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. "We're not going until this afternoon, sweetheart. I know you're excited, but it's way too early for you to be up." He stroked his daughter's hair. "Daddy just got back from a long trip, and I'm very tired. I need to sleep for a while longer, okay?" Morgan nodded reluctantly. "Where's Mommy?" Jon asked her.

"Downstairs in the living room," Morgan answered. "I didn't wake her up," she added hastily. "She waked up on her own. She's watching TV."

"Well, why don't you go watch TV with her?" Jon suggested gently. "Or go play in your room for a little while. I need to sleep some more."

"Okay," Morgan said reluctantly. "Sorry, Daddy."

"It's fine, honey," Jon assured her. "Go play. I'll get up in a little while." Morgan nodded agreeably, and quietly left the room. With a tired laugh, Jon burrowed under the covers and drifted off to sleep again.

-o-o-o-o-

When Jon woke again, the clock on the bedside table informed him that it was 12:05. "Morgan will have a fit if I'm not up soon," he muttered. Yawning, he sat up and swung his feet over the side of the bed. With a sigh, he slid out of bed and headed into the bathroom to take a shower.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Erin greeted him when he came downstairs. "We saved some breakfast for you. Your plate's keeping warm in the oven."

Jon retrieved the plate of French toast, and sat down at the table to eat. As he did, he glanced at Morgan. She was gazing intently at the clock on the kitchen wall, trying to read it. "Okay, I get the message," Jon laughed. "I'll hurry. While I'm eating, why don't you go get dressed?"

Morgan needed no further urging. She sprang off of the couch and dashed for the stairs. Jon laughed as he heard her bare feet hitting the floor. "I think somebody's a little excited about our trip to CTU today."

Erin shook her head. "I guess I should go get ready, then." With a laugh, she followed Morgan up the stairs.

-o-o-o-o-

Half an hour later, Jon descended the stairs and came to stand next to the coat closet in the foyer. "Is everyone ready to go?"

"I am," Morgan called back. "Mommy's taking a million years, though."

Erin's voice drifted from the upstairs bathroom. "I am not!" She was laughing. "I'm almost ready. I just need to finish getting dressed."

Jon shook his head. "Morgan, come here," he called out. "Let Mommy finish getting ready."

Morgan bounded down the stairs, taking them two at a time. She was dressed in a t-shirt emblazoned with the American flag, a denim skirt, and sandals. "Do I look pretty, Daddy?"

"You look very pretty," Jon told her. "The flag was a good choice for today."

Morgan was clutching a piece of blue construction paper, and she proudly held it out to show off her handiwork. "I made a card for Jack."

Jon knelt down to her level to examine the card. Morgan had drawn a stick figure with zigzag yellow hair and a large red smile. In crooked crayon letters, she had written "GET WEL SON JACK." Underneath the writing, several Band-Aids had been taped to the paper. "So his owies can feel better," Morgan announced.

Jon smiled. "That was very nice of you. I think Jack will like your card a lot." Morgan beamed proudly.

Erin came down the stairs, pulling her hair into a ponytail as she walked. "Sorry for the wait," she teased. "I'm ready. We can go now." Morgan immediately bolted towards the front door. "Wait!" Erin called after her. "Put a jacket on first!" Her only answer was the front door slamming as Morgan dashed down the sidewalk to the driveway. With a shrug and a laugh, Jon and Erin hurried after her.

Morgan was bouncing in her seat with impatience as Jon and Erin climbed into the car. "Hurry," she said eagerly. "Let's go, let's go!"

"You sound like my old military drill instructor," Jon teased, making Morgan giggle. He slid into the driver's seat and started the car. "Okay, Miss Impatience. We can go now." Shaking his head, he backed the van down the driveway, and they set off for CTU.