A/N: You readers are awesome! I love you guys! So, to show you how much I love you, here is another chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Body of Proof or that sort of thing.

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Chapter Six: Getting Priorities Straight

"No, sweetie, I can't!" Megan said into the phone.

"You said you would come!" Samantha Dunlop said into her sister's cell phone. She was only five years old, but she knew how important it was to keep a promise.

"I know, but Daddy and I are stuck at work. We'll try to make it, but I don't think we can." Megan said sadly, pulling the rubber gloves off her hands, holding the phone between her cheek and shoulder.

"Okay." The little girl said, and her mother could practically see the sadness in her daughter's face.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. But how about Daddy and I take you and Lacey out for ice cream afterwards?" Megan offered, too sad about missing her youngest child's ballet recital to think about how late it would be.

"Okay." Sammie perked up a bit. She saw her big sister making the "Give it!" motion at the phone, signaling that she needed it back.

"Lacey wants the phone back. I love you, Mommy!"

"I love you, too." There was a light rustling noise over the phone as it was exchanged between hands.

"Hey, Mom." Lacey said. "So you can't make it?" The twenty year old asked, already knowing that the answer was yes.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Peter and I'll try to finish early, but Kate has us – "

"No, I get it." Lacey said. "Grandma's on her way, but we'll be fine. Sammie just wants you to be here."

Megan sighed. "I know she does. I wish I could make it, but – "

"Yeah, I know. Work, as usual." Lacey interrupted, sounding a bit angry. "Mom, I know you're trying, but Sammie misses you. A lot. Sometimes it's like you're not even there!"

Megan frowned. "Lacey, Peter and I are both just – "

"You know what? It doesn't matter what you're trying to do, mother! Sammie needs her parents around, especially you! If you're not going to be there for her, then something needs to change. And I don't want my baby sister to suffer because you are too busy to pay attention to her."

Then she hung up.

Megan sat down in her office chair and buried her head in her arms. Lacey had never spoken to her like that.

But the twenty year old was right.

Megan couldn't keep missing everything in Sammie's life because of work. Then Peter walked in.

"So, you called Lacey to tell her we couldn't make it." He assumed from his wife's posture.

"Yep." Megan looked up at him. "And she got angry because I'm not present enough in Sammie's life, so now she's, and I quote, 'suffering because I'm too busy to pay attention.'"

Peter nodded. He threw the case file he had planned on sharing with his wife onto the desk and grabbed her by the arm.

"You know what?" He asked, not waiting for an answer before responding to his own question. "Screw this. We're going to that recital and we're going to see our little girl dance her little heart out."

"But this case is – "

"Not as important." Peter finished for her. "Screw this case, screw all of it! You know what, I say we quit!" He announced.

"We can't just quit, Peter." She said.

"Then you should quit, at least. You let work get in the way of your relationship with Lacey. Do you want that to happen again?" Peter asked.

"No, but – "

"Megs, let's go. Don't let work get in the way again."

She thought hard for a moment before grabbing her purse and storming out.

Kate was going to have a fit later, but who cared? A five year old dancing goose was much more important.

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"Megan, this is ridiculous!" Peter yelled at his wife.

"No, it's not! Peter, I'm sick of this! You act like I'm trying to ruin your life! I ask you do one thing, and you can't even accomplish that!"

"Megan, I have to work! I'm trying to do what you want, but it's not like I can drop everything I'm doing to make you happy!"

Now that Megan had resigned from work at the M.E.'s office, Peter was the sole source of income for their family. Megan had grown tired of waiting for him to come home from work just to get a break. Megan had only stopped working two months earlier, but she had had enough.

"You could make the slightest attempt to show up and tell your daughter good night before ten!" She yelled back.

"I've…" Peter went silent.

They both listened for a moment. Because through the yelling and the screaming, neither had noticed the soft, sad whimpering that was coming from the hallway. They turned and saw Sammie, holding a stuffed bunny like her life depended on it, and letting silent tears fall down her little face. Her big hazel eyes, which normally lit up when her Daddy was home, were red and puffy. Her parents' hearts both dropped. How could they argue like this? Seeing the kindergartener crying at their argument, getting tear stains all over her pink footy pajamas, with her long blond curls matted with bedhead, all anger in the room died down.

"Oh, Sammie…" Megan walked over to the little girl and hugged her. "I'm so sorry!"

"I'm sorry, too. Peter knelt beside them and brushed the hair away from his daughter's face.

"I don't like it when you fight." Samantha said, tears continuing to fall.

"We don't like fighting either, sweetie. We were just upset." Megan consoled the child.

"Why?" Sammie asked innocently.

"Because I don't see you as much as I'd like to." Her father answered, picking up the little girl and carrying her back to her bedroom.

"I love you, Daddy." Sammie said, yawning while trying to rub the sleep from her eyes, which were wet from the tears.

"I love you too, baby." He pulled her blanket up to cover her as she fell asleep.

Peter tip-toed out the room and closed the door softly.

Megan crossed her arms and they stood awkwardly in the hallway. "I'm sorry." She said finally.

"Me, too." He admitted, pulling his wife in for a hug.

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Please remember that I like reviews! : ) I like reviews a lot. Like A LOT a lot. Thank you again for reading! I love family chapters! And I enjoyed making Lacey angry at her mom, you know, for being a work-obsessed nutcase.