"Why'd you call our mom?" Kate asked.
"Because you two need to go home." Frank said.
"Mom was arguing." Tess said, snuggling in Kerry's lap, who she was an especial favourite of since her birth.
"With who?" Kerry asked, smoothing out the girl's hair.
"Doug." Kate replied, sticking her thumb in her mouth as she did when she was troubled.
"Can't we stay, Aunt Kerry?" Tess whined.
"No, your mom is going to be here very soon." Said Kerry.
"How soon?" Kate tilted her head to one side.
"A few more minutes." Frank replied.
"Girls?" Carol called, hurrying into the ER.
"Mom!"
"Hi, Mama!"
"Oh, my sweethearts...." Carol hugged them to her chest when she got to their sides. "Why did you run away?"
"Because you were fighting."
"We didn't like it."
"Not one bit."
"So we left."
"Girls, you should never do that." Doug warned. "Your mother and I were worried sick."
"Then why were you fighting if you were sick?" Tess asked.
"No, it's a figure of speech." Carol said, kissing her hair.
"Oh." She replied.
"We're sorry. We won't run away again." Kate said, knowing that was what they wanted to hear.
"Good girls." Carol smiled, giving them a little squeeze. "Doug?" She looked over her shoulder at him. "Can I talk to you in the lounge?"
"Sure." He said, nodding. "Watch them, will you, Kerry?"
"Sure." She agreed, herding them towards her like a mother hen. Carol led the way into the lounge.
"Malucci, can we have a few minutes?" she asked the only occupant of the lounge.
"Sure." He grinned and walked out.
"What is it, Carol?" Doug asked, turning to her as the door shut.
"I wanted to ask you if...if what you said was only because they were gone or if you really meant it. Saying that you loved me and all." Carol wouldn't meet his gaze as she asked these questions, instead looking at the ground and running a hand through her hair. Doug caught that hand in his and held it tightly.
"Of course I meant it." He said softly. "I've loved you since I looked at you. Even before that. Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Do you still love me?"
Carol searched through her heart of hearts to answer this question. She had tried so hard to forget about her love for Doug after he left, but it hadn't worked. He had encompassed her thoughts and feelings since she was twenty-three. She had let him go twice. She didn't want to do it again.
"Yes."
~*~
SO? What do you think? Oh, and be on the look-out for a new one soon, think of it as a B.D.C.- Before Doug and Carol.
~Tess
P.S. Katie, darling, *when* are you coming home???
"Because you two need to go home." Frank said.
"Mom was arguing." Tess said, snuggling in Kerry's lap, who she was an especial favourite of since her birth.
"With who?" Kerry asked, smoothing out the girl's hair.
"Doug." Kate replied, sticking her thumb in her mouth as she did when she was troubled.
"Can't we stay, Aunt Kerry?" Tess whined.
"No, your mom is going to be here very soon." Said Kerry.
"How soon?" Kate tilted her head to one side.
"A few more minutes." Frank replied.
"Girls?" Carol called, hurrying into the ER.
"Mom!"
"Hi, Mama!"
"Oh, my sweethearts...." Carol hugged them to her chest when she got to their sides. "Why did you run away?"
"Because you were fighting."
"We didn't like it."
"Not one bit."
"So we left."
"Girls, you should never do that." Doug warned. "Your mother and I were worried sick."
"Then why were you fighting if you were sick?" Tess asked.
"No, it's a figure of speech." Carol said, kissing her hair.
"Oh." She replied.
"We're sorry. We won't run away again." Kate said, knowing that was what they wanted to hear.
"Good girls." Carol smiled, giving them a little squeeze. "Doug?" She looked over her shoulder at him. "Can I talk to you in the lounge?"
"Sure." He said, nodding. "Watch them, will you, Kerry?"
"Sure." She agreed, herding them towards her like a mother hen. Carol led the way into the lounge.
"Malucci, can we have a few minutes?" she asked the only occupant of the lounge.
"Sure." He grinned and walked out.
"What is it, Carol?" Doug asked, turning to her as the door shut.
"I wanted to ask you if...if what you said was only because they were gone or if you really meant it. Saying that you loved me and all." Carol wouldn't meet his gaze as she asked these questions, instead looking at the ground and running a hand through her hair. Doug caught that hand in his and held it tightly.
"Of course I meant it." He said softly. "I've loved you since I looked at you. Even before that. Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Do you still love me?"
Carol searched through her heart of hearts to answer this question. She had tried so hard to forget about her love for Doug after he left, but it hadn't worked. He had encompassed her thoughts and feelings since she was twenty-three. She had let him go twice. She didn't want to do it again.
"Yes."
~*~
SO? What do you think? Oh, and be on the look-out for a new one soon, think of it as a B.D.C.- Before Doug and Carol.
~Tess
P.S. Katie, darling, *when* are you coming home???