"What's wrong?" Bosco said to Kim, looking over his menu at her and noticing her nervously tucking her hair behind her ear. She only did that when something was bothering her and she'd been really quiet since they'd left work. They each worked a half a shift, planning to take the kids to dinner and movie.

"What? Nothing," she said, looking quickly at Bosco and then back down at the menu. Neither of them saw that Amanda was looking at them both and saw Bosco visibly tense at Kim's response.

"Kim," Bosco said in a quiet but tense tone. "Tell me. Something happen at work?" he asked, thinking that she'd had a particularly tough call that had left her upset. Never in a million years would he have guessed that what was upsetting her was the fact that her ex-husband had kissed her - - and that she'd let him - - and that she wasn't all that sure that she didn't want him to.

"Bosco. Can we talk about it later?" Kim said, her tone matching the tenseness of his.

"Now who's not talking," Bosco said with definite irritation in his voice.

"Mom?" Amanda said quietly. Both Bosco and Kim looked at their daughter and then to Joey and Johnny.

"Yes, Honey?" Kim answered.

"I don't feel good," Amanda said, tears forming in her eyes.

"What's wrong, Baby?" Bosco said, reaching over to feel her forehead.

"My tummy hurts," she told him, a single tear sliding down her cheek.

"Okay. You think maybe it's 'cause you're hungry?" he asked her. Amanda shook her head no.

"You want to go home?" Kim asked, as Joey sighed loudly. Bosco gave him a gentle poke with his elbow.

"Don't make her feel worse," he whispered to Joey. "We'll get some food to go. You know what you want?" Joey nodded.

"But what about the movie?" Joey asked.

"We'll do it again another day. After we get Amanda home, we can go to the store and rent something for tonight," Bosco told him.

"Why don't you take her out to the car and I'll get us some food to go," Bosco told Kim.

"Okay," Kim said, standing up. She reached over and picked Amanda up. "C'mon, Sweetie. We'll go to the car and Daddy will bring Johnny and Joey out."

Bosco watched Kim and Amanda leave and then ordered some food to go as the waitress came over, explaining that one of the children got sick and they needed to leave.

*^*^*^*^*^*^**

After about ten minutes, Bosco, Joey and Johnny came out of the restaurant carrying the food they'd ordered. They found Amanda sound asleep on Kim's lap in the back seat of the car.

"She okay?" Bosco asked as he got the other two kids into the car.

Kim shrugged, "I dunno. She says her tummy hurts, but she fell asleep as soon as we got out here. She doesn't feel warm or anything."

Kim carefully slid out from under Amanda and buckled her into the car. Moving to the front seat, she closed the door and looked back at the sleeping girl as Bosco pulled away and headed home.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

"What's up?" Bosco asked as Kim came out of Amanda's room and into the kitchen.

"She says she's hungry now. I'm gonna fix her a sandwich," Kim told him.

"Well, that's a good sign," Bosco said, putting down the newspaper and walking into the kitchen. He leaned against the counter next to Kim and watched her make the sandwich for a minute.

"So, what's going on that has you so uptight?" Bosco attempted again.

He noticed her hands still from their work momentarily after he'd asked the question.

"Bosco. There's nothing wrong," she lied.

"Yeah, right," he said, standing up and pacing a few steps.

"Please. I don't want to fight again," Kim said, her voice rising slightly.

"I'm not fighting. I'm trying to find out what's wrong. I'm trying to help you," Bosco said, his voice rising as well.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Amanda listened from her room as the conversation continued between Bosco and Kim, their voices getting angrier. Tears began to fall again as she remembered hearing their argument the other night as well. She slowly got up and walked up the hallway and into the living room. She watched them in the kitchen. Bosco stood close to Kim, his hand resting on the counter as he leaned closer to talk. She could see the anger on his face. "Is Mommy scared?" she thought to herself as she took in the look on Kim's face.

"Mommy!" she yelled, startling both Kim and Bosco.

"Amanda? What is it?" Bosco said, turning and coming over to her, concern for her on his face.

As he bent down next to her, he was shocked as Amanda backed away from him. "Panda?" he said, referring to her with his nickname for her - Amanda Panda. That usually made her laugh, but not this time.

"Please don't hurt Mommy," she said, crying now.

"What?! Hurt Mommy? I'd never hurt Mommy," Bosco said as Kim came over behind him.

"You're both fighting. I don't want my Mommy to go up to heaven again and my Daddy to go to jail," she told them.

"Amanda, Honey. That's never going to happen. I promise," Bosco said, reaching out and enveloping Amanda in his arms. He picked her up and they all went to sit on the couch.

"Sometimes people just have serious talks. It may sound like we're mad, but we're just talking - about serious stuff," Kim explained.

"I don't want anyone to leave again," Amanda said.

"Oh, Honey. Please. That's not going to happen," Bosco assured her and the little girl squeezed her arms around his neck tightly.

Bosco and Kim looked at each other, feeling terrible that they'd made her so afraid. That must be why she got upset at the restaurant they each thought.