Envelope 44

Author's Note: A little time jump here with some back story. Please leave a review.

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"You get your ass down here young lady!" Don yelled at his teenage daughter as she tried to avoid him and run up the stairs.

"Dad it was just the one time!" Agnes yelled as she slammed her bag to the floor at the top of the stairs and marched back down the stairs.

"One time huh?" Don asked her, he was incensed.

"Yes, and we had to do it in Candace's room so fucking Chloe wouldn't rat me out," Agnes said defiantly.

"You watch your mouth!" Don yelled at her. "Chloe is there to keep you safe."

"From what?!" Agnes yelled. "All the people you think could hurt us, haven't! Have they? Have they dad?!"

Don couldn't argue with that point, there had been literally no threats on his children's lives but he was always aware that there could be.

"I am so angry Agnes," Don steamed as his neck reddened.

"Your angry because of the monsoon," Agnes said loudly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You've been on us for days now!"

"I am angry about a lot of things," Don said as he approached his daughter and stood toe to toe with her. "But I'm most angry that my daughter is smoking up and trying to say that it's my fault."

Agnes' face reddened and she deflated slightly at the force that was her father.

"So, you smoked up in Wendy's house?" Don asked as he gestured for her to sit on the sofa, and she plunked herself down defiantly.

"It was the first…"

"Spare me the bullshit," Don said as he held up the bag of evidence Wendy had gathered with the well-rolled joint half gone. "This is a joint that is not a first time joint."

"And how would you know that?" Agnes asked.

"I'm a cop, it's my job to…"

"I heard uncle Robby talking one time about how you were a big pot head when you were…"

"And I'm less smart because of it," Don said, conceding that she was correct. "It re-wires your brain Agnes, the college of physicians…"

"Oh, spare me," Agnes huffed as she collapsed back in the sofa.

"Spare you?" Don asked. "How about I ground your ass until you leave for college?"

"You wouldn't!" Agnes said, her face shocked.

"Soccer and school and that's…"

"Dad!" Agnes yelled her eyes filling with tears. "I'm a senior and I've only got a couple of months with my friends before I go to Texas for training camp and…"

"So, why are you smoking up? Because it's not making you a better soccer player and it's not making you smarter…" Don started.

Agnes looked out the front window and then back at her father.

"I just wanted to try it," Agnes admitted. "It's like the thing I hadn't tried before college and I didn't want to get there and…"

"Then why is it do perfectly rolled?" Don asked her as he sat down on the coffee table.

"Marcus," Agnes said. He was Candace's boyfriend. "He does it pretty regularly and…"

"This was honestly the only time?" Don asked her.

Agnes nodded seriously.

"Please don't do drugs," Don sighed. "We've spoken about this and…"

"I know," Agnes said. "I didn't really like it."

Don chuckled and smiled at her.

"Look, I know you've drank, and I know you and Kevin…." Don left off the part about him discovering his daughter was sexually active with her boyfriend by coming home from work early and seeing two teenagers madly scramble half-clothed from the basement sofa into the washroom. "But you don't have to do everything before college. There are so many experiences that are better if you wait until the right time instead of trying to rush through them."

Agnes nodded.

"Dad, I know you've said no," Agnes said as she broached a tough subject with him. "But can I not have security at college? It's weird."

Don sighed and dropped his head to look down at his hands. He didn't like letting go like this, she was going to another State and would be without security for the first time in her life and…

"I'll think about it," Don said. "And in a real way, not just say I will, okay?"

Agnes leapt toward him and hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks, dad," Agnes said with a smile.

"Now go have a shower and dump those clothes in the washing machine, you smell like cheap pot," Don said as he stood with her and she laughed.

"And your home this week except for practice and school," Don said as he watched her walk toward the stairs.

"Dad…"

"Agnes, don't push it," Don said.

She left the room and Don sat heavily on the sofa and listened to Kit talking with his friends on his headset downstairs while they gamed. He was none the wiser that his sister and father had just been yelling at each other.

In truth Agnes was right, he had been angry about a lot of things lately. He's been angry that Texas A&M had lured her away from a closer university to play on their soccer team. He'd been angry about her growing up and having a life beyond him. He'd been angry Liz wasn't here to talk with her about sex and birth control and the vulnerability of a sexual relationship with someone; a conversation he and Agnes had awkwardly stumbled through together. He'd been angry about Knowles retiring, as much as they had a love-hate relationship, he missed the guy and didn't feel like his relationship with the new Homeland AD Reba Hughes was as good. Aram was busy with his young family and they saw less of each other than he liked, but he was incredibly happy for him in every single way. And it had been almost two years into Linnea's post in Singapore and the cracks in their relationship had started to show.

She had 8 weeks vacation and she had spent all of them with Don and the kids either in Sweden, Singapore or DC depending on the time of year. And he had 5 weeks that he also spent with her at the cottage, in Singapore, DC or Sweden, again with the kids. They had managed to carve out about 10 weeks together each year, but much of their year had been spent on phone and video calls with each other with a 12 hour time difference and a 23 hour plane ride away. He didn't want to hold her back when she received the offer of Asia and she had waffled between the posting and several offers with private businesses in New York, but, had ultimately decided her heart was with the embassy. They loved each other and were going to make it work. But now her trip to DC was either delayed or would be cancelled because of a monsoon that had hit the region and he wasn't sure if it was going to be another couple months before he saw her again.

Don got up and walked to his bedroom to change out of his suit before he called Wendy about his conversation with Agnes and shared what he knew with her; apparently Candace had just fallen short of reciting her rights and demanding a lawyer. When he got inside, he changed into his sweats and sat heavily on the end of his bed looking at the two images before him.

One was of him and Liz, the night they made Christopher. It was a beautiful moment captured over 13 years ago when his life was so different. It was a selfie of them Liz had taken after some vigorous love making when their skin seemed to glow, and their smiles were lazy and easy. When she was alive and a fugitive, when they could have been a family, when he was the one unsure of their future but willing to take the leap with her. He looked so happy and hopeful.

The other image was of him and Linnea, taken by Kit on their first trip to Sweden. In truth, Don thought that Kit was taking a picture of the fire and they just happened to be in it, but it was a beautiful moment captured that he needed to wake up to. The fire was in the foreground and he and Linnea were in the background, she sitting on a wood log between his legs as he sat on a wooden stool behind her. Her head was upturned laughing about something as she looked at him and he was leaning in and kissing her on the forehead. Agnes had been the one to find it on her phone, which Kit had used, and shared it with him telling him he should frame it and put it with mom's picture. So, he did, and was happy every morning to see them side by side.

Don wiped at his eyes and swallowed hard. He hated that she was so far away, he was trying to be mature about it, but there was nothing about it he liked. He felt run-down, overly tired and not himself. Work had been demanding, his kids had been demanding and he was looking forward to not only having time with Linnea, but having time to sort out what he wanted with her.

His phone rang and he looked down to see Linnea's name.

"It's four in the morning," Don said as he answered the phone, surprised she was on the line.

"I couldn't sleep," Linnea said softly into the phone.

"Well, I'm glad you called," Don said as he sniffled and wiped at his eyes.

"What's wrong?" She asked, suddenly concerned.

"Nothing and everything," Don said quietly. "Just a lot today."

"Hughes being…?" Linnea started.

"The RSS had another attack," Don said, knowing she would hear about it when she woke. "Three dead."

"Shit," Linnea said quietly. "I'm sorry."

He nodded and "Yeah, I know."

They sat in silence for almost a full minute before she spoke.

"I can't get out of the airport," Linnea said. "They are saying 5 days and…"

"You need to be back for the summit," Don said knowing that meant she wasn't coming.

"I don't like this," she said quietly. "I…"

"I know," he said quietly. "I know."

Don looked up at the image of them and sighed.

"Agnes excited about accepting Texas?" Linnea asked, knowing that had to happen this week.

"She's asked that security not go with her," Don said.

Linnea nodded, "I know."

"She spoke with you?" Don asked.

"She thought I would influence you," Linnea said with a chuckle. "I told her that is between the two of you."

Don smiled, leave it to his daughter to try and form an alliance with Linnea.

"What do you think?" Don asked.

Over the years that they had been together Don had sought out her advice about his children, particularly Agnes, so he could see if he was over-reacting or on point. Linnea had been the one to talk him down from banning Agnes from seeing Kevin ever again after the basement incident, and had convinced him to have an open and honest discussion with his daughter about sex, relationships, and being an advocate for herself and her needs. It had been uncomfortable, and he'd felt incredibly vulnerable, but he did it, and believed Agnes was better for it, regardless of how much he wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

"I think she turns eighteen in two weeks, " Linnea said softly. "And she wants what every eighteen-year-old wants, freedom."

Don nodded. He was afraid she was going to say that.

"Don, you're her father and you know what's…"

"No, I know you and she are right," Don said as he sniffled. "I just have to accept it."

"Are you okay?" Linnea asked, she had heard too many sniffles to think it was just a cold.

"I'm just really tired and…and it's been a week," Don said. "I'll cancel my vacation time if you aren't coming, so I don't waste…"

"Maybe you need a few days just for you?" Linnea suggested. "You could go to the cottage for the weekend, I'm sure Agnes and Kit could manage, or you could ask…"

Don nodded, she was right, he was burnt out and barely hanging on until she was here, and he should go away for the weekend to recharge.

"I think I'll do that," Don said softly. "Thanks."

"I wish I could be there," Linnea said honestly.

"I know," he said softly.

"What else is going on?" Linnea asked.

And Don told her about Agnes and the drugs, Kit and the science competition that was stressing the boy out and Don worried he should speak with someone, he told her about Reba being an asshole and the charred bodies of the 3 Capital Police officers he saw, and the fact that he hadn't gone out with a friend for a drink or dinner or had anyone over in…he couldn't remember how long. How he felt like his life was becoming a non-life.

She listened and offered options and counsel and laughter and kind advice. An hour later, they disconnected and Don felt better, she may not be coming, but she was exactly what he needed. They would figure out how to make this better work once he got Agnes off to school in the summer and things seemed less crazy.

And, on Friday, as Don was packing up his car in the garage for go away to the cottage for a weekend by himself with Agnes staying at home with Kevin and Kit spending the weekend at his friend Jeremy's, Aram arrived.

"What are you doing here?" Don asked, surprised to see his friend. He had a one-year-old ad three year old at home and besides work, where Aram looked like he could fall asleep at any moment, Don rarely saw him.

"Coming with you," Aram said.

"What?" Don asked, surprised.

"Linnea is very convincing," Aram said with a smile.

"What?" Don asked, still confused.

"Look, I could use a weekend away and so could you," Aram said as he threw his backpack in the backseat of Don's car. "And Linnea offered to pay for our sitter to basically move in for the weekend to help Charlotte."

"She did?" Don asked.

"She's worried about you," Aram said as he met his friend's eyes. "And I am too."

Don ducked his head, he was worried about himself.

"Who is staying with the kids?" Aram asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Kit is staying at Jeremy's for the weekend and I'm letting Kevin stay here with Agnes," Don said as he met his friend's surprised eyes.

"Really? How…progressive of you," Aram said, truly surprised Don was allowing Agnes' boyfriend to stay alone with her for the weekend.

"I know he's a good kid, and he'll keep her safe," Don said explaining. "And she's eighteen in two weeks and going away to college in a few months…"

"Still, wow," Aram said, thinking Don was probably more likely to ban Kevin by gunpoint than give him the keys to his home.

"Linnea," Don said, explaining with a sigh. "She's right. I have to start to let go and…and this is a start."

Aram nodded, knowing that Linnea very rarely put her oar in when it came to Don's kids but that, when Don sought her advice, he valued it greatly.

"So, let's go away for a guys weekend," Aram smiled at his friend. "But, honestly, I think I'm going to go to bed at 8 every night because I haven't slept for more than 5 hours in like 3 years…"

Don laughed at his joke and nodded toward the car.

He sent Linnea a text, knowing it was 5am her time and she would still be sleeping. 'Thank you'

She immediately responded with a kiss emoji and Don knew, whatever was going on with them, it would work itself out.

To be continued….