Agnes
Part 11
Author's Note: Just a cute little chapter—getting Don out of his comfort zone again. Please let me know what you think with a review.
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Don sat uncomfortably outside of the Principal's office of a private school in DC. He looked at the fancy furniture and the awards on all the walls, the banners that looked like they got cleaned regularly, and the pictures of the girls in uniforms and sighed. This was the farthest from his school experience that he could imagine. In his working-class neighborhood, the books were old, desks had graffiti on them, the awards were all locked up so they wouldn't get stolen, and the kids walked around in jeans and flannel. And here he was about to have an admissions interview to get Agnes enrolled in one of the most expensive and prestigious schools south of NYC. He hadn't ever picture himself in this situation; if he'd had children he expected them to just go to the local school.
He picked up the file sitting next to him and flipped it open looking at the information he had filled out about Agnes, the legal documents, and the financials. Luckily, Liz had set up an account with more than enough money to pay for this, because there's no way his salary would cover a month at this school, never mind a year. And, after investigating public schools in his area, he discovered he could not send Chuck with Agnes. That was not an option. And educating her in his apartment or the Post Office in September was also not an option. She needed a regular school experience, and he was going to make sure she got it.
He looked at Agnes' birth certificate, Tom's death certificate, Liz's letter authorized by a judge providing him with guardianship of Agnes, and the legal letter of guardianship signed by both him and Liz. He looked at the dates of the guardianship papers and remembered when she asked him to do this years ago, after her coma and before she went away to the cabin on her own. Liz had sent the toddler with Scottie, but he had been her legal guardian, even then. He was barely prepared for a five-year-old, there was no way he could have taken in a toddler, and Liz and he had decided Scottie was the best choice. He'd been Agnes' guardian for half of her life and hadn't been called into service until now, and he was going to do right by her.
"Mr. Ressler?" a woman asked as she stood smiling at the office door.
"Yes," Don said as he stood and picked up the file, shaking her hand.
"Ms. Frankovich," the woman said as she smiled at Don and gestured for him to go inside. "I met Agnes just before her testing, what a lovely young girl you have."
"Thanks," Don said as he sat in a chair. "I can't take much credit, it's really her mom."
Ms. Frankovich chuckled and sat behind the desk and held out her hand for the folder.
"I know you understand Agnes' unique situation," Don said as he watched her go through the documents. "Which is why her mom and I are interested in your school."
Technically, he hadn't spoken to Liz in five weeks and had made this decision completely on his own. But the principal didn't need to know the details.
"Yes, we have several students who have private security," she said as she read. "Agnes would not be unique in that respect and our protocols for safety are robust."
Don nodded, that's what he needed—robust safety.
"Agnes had only lived with you for 3 months?" Ms. Frankovich asked. "You have been her guardian since she was…"
"About 3, a little bit before," Don offered.
"So, you have been a significant part of her life?" Ms. Frankovich smiled at him.
Don nodded. Technically, that wasn't true either but again, not her business.
"Agnes' mom is…?"
"Away for work," Don said with a smile.
Ms. Frankovich nodded and then looked at the last page of financials.
"FBI?" She asked, surprised.
"Yes, it's Agnes' trust fund that will be paying for her tuition and fees," Don said as he gestured for her to look at the next page.
She flipped the next page and nodded as she noted the bank account balance verified by the Bank Manager.
"And, as her parent or guardian, what are your expectations of Mont Marte Academy?" She asked.
Don shifted. "A good education, safety, fun?"
Ms. Frankovich smiled.
"I see you've marked French as the second language you would like her to pursue?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm thinking Mandarin may be a little challenging…"
"You'd be surprised how quickly young children can take to any language," she said. "And you've chosen classical dance?"
"She does ballet," Don said.
She nodded.
"And I see you have noted she enjoys athletics?" Ms. Frankovich said. "We have an excellent field hockey team and tennis…"
"She plays baseball," Don said.
"Oh, we don't have that," she said her brow furrowing. "Sailing? Equestrianism?"
Don cleared his throat. They seemed to only have rich kid sports.
"Maybe we should let Agnes check them out and see what she likes," Don said.
She nodded.
"Agnes should be finished testing soon and I will call you tomorrow with her test results and…"
"Thank you," Don smiled.
"Have you considered residence?" Ms. Frankovich said.
"No, Agnes has a home," Don said, not really sure that's how Agnes would characterize his apartment…
She closed the file and clasped her hands together.
"Mr. Ressler, can I speak frankly?" She asked.
Don nodded slowly.
"I am aware who her mother is," she said. "A simple google search…"
Don cleared his throat and shifted, was this where they got out right rejected?
"But know here at Mont Marte, we don't judge children based on their parents," she said softly. "We have some other students with…well, parents that are easily google searched as well."
Don nodded, he was waiting for the hammer to drop.
"Please know that Agnes is safe here, not judged by her family ties, and can make her own impression on everyone," she said with a soft smile. "I look forward to hearing more about her test results and discussion Admission with you tomorrow."
Don let out the breath he had been holding. He hadn't realized how badly he needed her to go to their hoity toity school.
"I appreciate that Ms. Frankovich," Don said. "What her mother looks like on paper is not who her mother is."
She nodded and gave him a tight smile.
She rose from her seat and walked Don to the door. "You two enjoyed your tour?"
"Yeah, we did," Don said as he was walked out to find Agnes waiting in the chairs chatting with a woman and Chuck standing nearby.
She got up and went to him and he leaned down to pick her up. "It went okay?"
"Yeah," she smiled at him.
Don looked at the woman who was with her.
"Everything went well?" Don asked.
"Yes, Agnes and I had some good fun, didn't we?" She said.
Agnes showed him her necklace that was new.
"You got that?" Don asked, looking at the necklace of flowers.
Agnes nodded.
"Well, it looks great sweetie," Don said before he set her down. "We better get home and get something to eat."
Agnes took his hand and Don thanked everyone before they left, and Chuck went his own way. Whenever Agnes was with him, and he wasn't working, there was no need for Chuck. But at camp? Chuck. When she was doing some testing away from Don? Chuck. And for school in a week? Chuck.
Don was driving home and sitting at a light in the left hand turning lane when he heard his phone vibrate and looked over expecting a text. When he saw something was coming in from the app he and Liz shared he lunched for the phone and clicked accept.
Liz's face was on the other side and after 5 weeks of worry, he wanted to either cry or scream or laugh, he wasn't sure which.
"Liz!" Don said as he looked at her.
"Hi!" Liz said with a restrained smile. "I'm so sorry I was…are you in the car?"
"Mommy!" Agnes yelled from the back seat.
"Yeah, we're…"
Just then Don heard several cars behind him laying on their horns.
"Shit," Don said as he handed the phone to Agnes.
"Talk to mummy," Don said before he turned the corner with cars honking the entire time behind him.
"I am going to a new school mummy! Where have you been?" Agnes asked.
"Mummy got held up," Liz said. "And I wanted to talk with you for weeks but…I lost my phone and needed to find it!"
Don heard the lie she told Agnes and looked for a street to turn down so he could stop and join the conversation.
"Silly mummy!" Agnes giggled.
"What have you been doing pumpkin?" Liz asked.
Don spotted a park with a small lot that he could pull into and he did.
"I did tests today and I got this!" Agnes said as she held up the necklace.
It was then that the phone dropped out of Agnes' little hands.
"Mummy!" Agnes yelled.
"Just a second," Don said as he found a spot and put the car in park. He could hear Liz's voice muffled, the phone was under his seat.
"Is mummy still there?" Agnes called. "Mummy! Mummy!"
"Just a second, honey," Don said as he got out of the car and fished out the phone from under his seat, grateful Liz was still there.
"Sorry about that," Don said as he smiled at Liz. "God, it's good to see you."
Liz's eyes got a little teary. "You don't know how happy I am to see you."
It was then that Don noticed some bruises and scratches on her face and neck.
"Liz, what…?" Don started.
"Mummy! Mummy! Mummy!" Agnes yelled and reached for the phone.
Don sighed and handed the phone to Agnes, as much as he needed answers, she was a five-year-old who had not seen or heard from her mom in over five weeks.
"What school?" Liz asked, trying to calm her daughter down.
"Mar School," Agnes said.
"Mont Marte," Don explained. "Private, so Chuck can go with her."
"You liked it munchkin?" Liz asked her, trying to catch up with what was going on.
Agnes nodded.
"They have bikes for everyone to ride at recess," Agnes said excitedly.
"Wow!" Liz said.
Agnes' eyes caught a bunch of kids running through a splash pad. "Splash pad!"
Don turned and looked at the kids running around on the hot August day getting wet.
"After you talk with mummy," Don offered, knowing he had no suit for her, but she could run through in her shorts and t-shirt. Agnes needed to talk with her mom more than she needed to run through another splash pad.
"I love you mummy!" Agnes said. "I'm going to the splash pad."
Don chuckled.
"You don't want to tell mummy what else you have done?" Don asked, trying to get Agnes to engage with her mother more.
"I hit a ball far in baseball," Agnes offered.
"You did?" Liz asked.
"Really far," Don smiled as he leaned into the screen. "Second base."
"Wow!" Liz said excitedly.
"She's going outfield next, right kiddo?" Don asked her.
"The splash pad now?" Agnes asked him.
Don sighed, it had been five weeks and he thought she'd want to talk with Liz more.
"Go ahead honey," Liz said. "I'll talk with Don, and then maybe I can see you run through the water?"
Agnes smiled and handed Don the phone.
"Just a second, I need to undo her," Don said as he placed the phone down on the seat and took her out of her children's seat and placed her on the ground. He then walked to his trunk, and found a blanket he kept there—they could use that to dry her off.
He walked back to the back seat and grabbed the phone and gestured that Agnes could go.
"My bathing suit?" Agnes asked.
"Didn't bring it kiddo," Don said. "This was not planned. If you want to run through, just go in your shorts and t-shirt."
Agnes looked at him annoyed but ran toward the splash pad after a brief hesitation.
When she got a few feet away, Don looked at Liz.
"Where the hell have you been?" Don asked, not angry but worried.
"I've been in jail in Cambodia," Liz said.
"What?!" Don asked.
"Look, I can't go into details, but…I'm out now," Liz said.
"You were in jail for over a month?" Don asked.
"Yeah," Liz said.
"Liz…" Don said.
"Please don't," Liz begged him.
He sighed. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Liz nodded and wiped at her eyes.
"Good," Don said, clearing his throat and trying not to think about what happened to her in the Cambodian prison.
"I know you can't…you're not still in Cambodia are you?" Don asked, worried.
"No," Liz supplied.
Don nodded.
"And I'm assuming you can't return to that country?" He asked.
"That could mean I go back to jail," Liz offered.
Don nodded. She broke out or paid her way out…
"We got a message from you but it didn't have…"
"Yeah, I bribed one of the guards to send it, but she left off the clue," Liz explained.
Don looked at her with a furrowed brow.
"Banjo love was the clue," Liz offered.
Don nodded and chuckled. He had a weird and unexplainable love for songs with a banjo in them that he had shared with Liz once.
"Jack Tapper Love?" Liz chuckled.
"Liz, I don't want to talk about the clues, I want…" Don said as he shook his head.
"I know," Liz nodded. "I'm sorry, I made a stupid mistake, and I didn't want you to worry, but I imagine you did."
Don wanted to lie to her and say he knew she would be fine. But he couldn't.
"I've not slept much in the last 5 weeks," Don admitted. "I've been worried sick."
Liz nodded slowly and wiped at some tears.
"I promise I'll try to not get arrested again," Liz offered, trying to make light of the situation even as she cried. But when she saw Don's tired face, she knew there was nothing light about all this. "I'm really sorry."
Don nodded. He didn't need to belabor the point—she got that she had scared the shit out of him.
"Take a look at her," Don said as he turned the phone to capture Agnes running through the water at the splash pad. Liz needed to see her daughter and he needed to calm down before he spoke with her again.
He could hear Liz laughing at Agnes' antics and that made him smile.
He kept the camera on Agnes for a few minutes, giving him a chance to catch his breath. He then turned his phone camera back to him.
"Don, I wish I could take back the last five weeks and…"
"I know," Don nodded. There was nothing more to say, she'd fucked up, he'd worried, and in the end, she was fine. That was a good thing. "I'm just glad you are okay."
Liz smiled at him.
"You like the school?" Liz asked him, moving the conversation forward.
"It's a little hoity toity, but they will let Chuck be there and it looks like she'll learn to ride a horse," Don chuckled.
"I one hundred percent trust you to pick the right place," Liz smiled at him.
"Thanks Liz," Don returned the smile. "Their principal was nice, knew about your past and said she was not concerned."
Liz nodded, she hated that her own deeds followed her daughter.
Agnes ran to Don soaking wet and he put down the phone and wrapped the blanket around her as she stood and shivered.
Liz heard him speaking sweetly to her and Agnes telling him about a boy on the splash pad who said he was in charge of the splash pad, but he wasn't, because he was just a kid. Don said the kid was stupid and Agnes giggled.
Don picked up the phone and was walking back to the car carrying a bundled up Agnes and she was snuggled into him wrapped up in a blanket.
"I need to get her home to get out of these wet clothes," Don said as he looked at Liz. "Can you talk to Agnes while I drive?
Liz smiled. "Of course."
Don nodded and buckled Agnes in and got the car started. "No dropping the phone." He warned Agnes.
All the way home, Agnes prattled on about anything and everything and Liz encouraged her to keep talking and seemed excited by what they had been up to and asked a lot of questions.
When they got home, Liz was on the video call on the bed while Don changed Agnes. She listened to Don ask Agnes if she wanted the Wonder Woman t-shirt or the Spider Man one. Liz shook her head, only Don would buy her daughter all super hero t-shirts.
Liz talked with Agnes and watched Don in the background as he walked around hanging up Agnes' wet clothes in the washroom and wiping up the water on the floor. She listened to Agnes whining that she was hungry and Don saying he'd get her a snack, but had she eaten all of her toast at breakfast, she wouldn't be starving now.
Liz went with Agnes into the kitchen when Don called her to come and pick up some cut up banana that was her snack on while he got lunch ready for them. Don picked up Agnes and sat her on the kitchen counter while he made them some sandwiches, she ate her banana, and he poured her some juice.
She watched Don plunk Agnes down on the ground and followed her to the table where she sat to eat her sandwich. He took back the phone and smiled at Liz.
"Sorry about that, where were we?" He asked as he sat down on a chair and watched Agnes eat.
"I didn't think I could love you more, but I do," Liz said as she looked at him with a stray tear falling down her cheek. "But I am...bursting with love for you in this moment for how you take care of Agnes."
Don looked at her a little confused. He was just taking care of Agnes as he had for the last few months.
"Thank you," Liz said sincerely. "My god, thank you."
Don smiled at her and after a brief discussion, they disconnected. She was calling back again tonight to talk without Agnes around.
He picked up his sandwich and started to eat and nearly spit out his food when Agnes spoke.
"Mummy loves you," Agnes said with a devious smile and a teasing voice.
"She does," Don smiled at her and tried to swallow.
"Do you love my mummy?" Agnes asked.
"I do," Don said, honestly. "And I love you too."
Agnes smiled at him and giggled.
"We're a family," Agnes said as she laid a small hand over his which was sitting next to his plate.
Don swallowed hard and looked at her sweet little face, then looked at her little hand over his. "Yeah, we are munchkin. Do you like that?"
Agnes nodded and smiled broadly. Don thought his heart may burst from his chest it was hammering so hard. They were a family, in their own way, they were.
To be continued…