Run and Hide
Disclaimer: This hasn't changed - I don't own anything.
A/N: Okay, this took forever, I know that. I didn't forget LOL. I ended up getting busy and decided to place fanfiction on the back burner and a little further down the priority list. However, now that things are sort of easing I got a chance to finish! :)
And so it is... we've come to the finish line. The chapter isn't long - it's more of a neat little wrap up. The last section is a bit out of my comfort zone as I normally don't get into any kind of romance - obviously I don't hate it, I just don't go into it LOL. For this, though, it's just part of the 'neat little wrap up'. :)
I thank everyone who read and reviewed, alerted, and/or favourited; to those who read every chapter, reviewed often, or lurked - I appreciate the time it takes to read a story, and I appreciate the time it takes to review. Thank you! :D
So, I'll say it one more time: Enjoy! :)
Until next time! *waves*
Chapter 18
"I feel like I'm in training again…" Jamie grumbled, causing Renzulli to smirk.
"Technically, you are in training, Reagan." Tony sighed mournfully. "I have to condition you all over again."
"I'm not that bad, Sarge!" Jamie defended himself, readying his boxing gloves. Tony smirked again, holding the punching bag as Jamie took some more practice hits.
"So far."
"That's not helping, Sarge…" Jamie grumbled again. Tony smiled in response, helping Jamie remove the gloves.
"How are you doing, Reagan?" he asked as Jamie toweled off. They walked towards the locker room.
"I'm okay, Sarge." Jamie smiled. "I'm still talking to Dr. Avery, and Dr. Haynes thinks I'm handling it pretty well… otherwise he wouldn't have let me back in." He paused. "I looked at the report, though… Dr. Avery thought it might be a good idea when I was still having the occasional nightmare. Jake was still bothering me, and if I read the report of what went down, maybe that would trigger my brain into realizing that he was gone." Jamie shrugged. "Not that I didn't already know he was gone and never coming back, but it was almost as if some small part of me didn't believe it, or didn't want to believe it."
Tony cocked an eyebrow. "Those reports always contain images."
Jamie shrugged again. "The images were removed before I got the report. All I had to do was read it."
"Smart man." Tony mumbled, referring to the Commissioner. Jamie lips quirked. "Did it work?"
"It was an emotional read," Jamie admitted. "I think that was when I fully grasped the reality of the whole thing… it really happened, it was now an official police report, Jake didn't survive… but I did."
"You beat him, kid." Tony smiled, reaching out to grasp his shoulder. "You proved you're better than him no matter what he said to you."
"Yeah." Jamie smiled back. "I felt a sense of closure reading it… it made it so real, but now it's over. And Jake won't be coming back."
Tony nodded. "Good… are the dreams staying away?"
"Yeah. Just odd ones… literally."
"What do you mean?" Tony asked, taking in the awkward look on his partners face.
"Ones like getting lost in the precinct… being unable to find my way down to the gun range…" Jamie trailed off, looking pained.
Tony laughed, lightly slapping him on the back. "That's just nerves talking, Reagan. You'll get back into the same old routine soon."
"Hope so." Jamie sighed.
"Speaking of the gun range, I'm going to head down there now. Cool off then meet me down there. Fifteen minutes or I come looking for you." Tony ordered.
Jamie smiled. "Yes, Sir." he answered as he grabbed his water bottle, waving Tony off as he unscrewed the top. Alone in the locker room, he grabbed a clean police issued t-shirt from his locker, replacing the one he'd worn while boxing. He tossed the dampened one into the bag sitting on the bottom of his locker, destined for his laundry room at home. He stuck the water bottle back into his locker, closing the door. He headed out of the room, walking quickly towards the nearest set of stairs that would lead him into the basement.
Entering the room, he immediately spotted Renzulli standing on the far side, waiting patiently. Tony smiled as he walked up.
"Right on time, Reagan." he told him, handing him a set of earmuffs. "You remember how to load, don't you?" he teased.
"Very funny, Sarge." Jamie grumbled, taking the muffs. He stood by the shelf, looking down the range at the paper target shaped like a random stranger. Nervously, he glanced down at the gun on the shelf below him and at the ammo that Renzulli had just placed there. The last time he held a gun was the night he'd met Jake for the first time. He'd hesitated then, who was to say he wouldn't hesitate again at the wrong moment?
"No." Tony said softly, gently pushing Jamie back towards the cubicle.
Jamie startled, turning to face him. "I didn't even realize I'd backed up, Sarge…" he said, feeling awkward.
"Just pick it up, Jamie. Load it like normal." Tony continued. "You're not going to leave here until you've fired it." His gaze softened. "You'll be fine once you get back into it again, kid. It's just nerves. Don't think about anything, just concentrate on this moment."
Jamie nodded, reaching towards the gun. He picked it up, feeling the cold, smooth metal beneath his fingers. Deftly, he loaded the clip, snapping it back into place. "Now or never, Sarge."
Tony smiled, handing him his goggles. "When you're ready, Reagan. Go ahead."
Jamie readied the weapon, staring down to the far end, taking in the paper target. He felt tense but ready. He squeezed the trigger.
"You okay, Reagan?" Tony asked, coming up beside him. Jamie had successfully fired off five rounds, emptying the clip.
Jamie nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah, Sarge… felt good, actually."
"Good." Tony smiled, pressing the button to bring the paper closer. They stared at it as it got closer and stopped just short of where they were standing. "Well… it's not bad, Reagan…" Tony snickered. Jamie just sighed, awkwardly running his fingers through his hair as he tried to keep his face from reddening.
"I wouldn't even be able to hit a car tire, Sir…"
The paper contained five holes from five bullets; three over the head, ripping through the white space, one through the knee, and the last grazing the left hip.
"I don't know about that, Reagan…" Tony snickered again, pointing to the knee shot. "That one was pretty accurate."
"I wasn't aiming for the knee, Sarge." Jamie commented dryly.
Tony laughed. "I know. Ready yourself." he ordered, pointing down towards where a new sheet of paper hung. Jamie repositioned his feet, raising the gun again. "Go!"
Five more shots fired off, with little hesitation. It was Jamie this time who pressed the button, praying that he had better aim this time around. Tony sidled up to him.
"Better, Reagan." he commented, taking the sheet from the hook. This time, only one had missed and ripped through the white space above the target's left shoulder. One had hit dead center, and three were scattered throughout the torso. Jamie nodded in agreement. "Do you want one more go? Remember, I just want you to practice, these aren't qualifications yet."
"One more, Sarge… I've almost got it."
Tony smiled as he took a step back. "Fire when ready."
Jamie took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. The tension had been easing the entire time he was there, leaving him tired but unwilling to stop just yet. He readied the weapon a third time.
Tony smiled as the paper stopped in front of them. "Well, would you look at that!" he praised. "I've got my sidekick back!"
Jamie smiled, feeling relieved. This time, four holes dotted center mass, some almost falling out of range, and the fifth was a head shot, although it was just shy of a miss. It was enough to pass qualifications, and more practice would help, too. He removed his goggles and muffs. Tony removed his and gathered up the gun and ammo in order to lock them away.
"I'm proud of you, Jamie." Tony told him. "You've done really well today. I don't want you to overdo it yet, but I think you're almost ready. How do you feel about it?"
"I feel good, Sir." Jamie answered truthfully. "I've enjoyed getting back into it again."
"Good." Tony smiled. "Let me know how things are going, okay? When I receive word, I'll get the testing set up."
Jamie nodded. "Are we finished, Sarge?"
"Yes." Tony answered. Jamie had come in for a half day to get warmed up again. "I'll expect you back here tomorrow morning, Reagan. We'll get some more practice in and I'll set you up for some hand-to-hand combat training."
"Sounds fine, Sarge."
"Do you have another session to get to today?"
"Yes." Jamie answered, leading the way back into the locker room. "Dr. Avery wants me to continue twice a week for another couple of weeks, then she'll scale it back to once a week." He smiled. "It's really helping, Sarge."
"Good." Tony answered, smiling back. "I'll leave you to change. See you tomorrow, Jamie. Don't be late!"
"Never, Sarge." Jamie laughed, watching as left the room. He grabbed the towel he kept in his locker, heading towards the showers.
~~BB~~
"You passed your physical tests with flying colours, gun qualifications are just as good as the last time you qualified. Driving tests were perfect. Medical has cleared you. So has Dr. Haynes."
Jamie stood in his dress blues, nervously fiddling with the edge of his hat. He was standing in front of his father, in the Commissioner's office, awaiting the final results. If his father gave the okay, he'd get back his gun and badge which had been taken from him when he'd entered the hospital after his ordeal.
"If you keep fiddling with that," Frank continued. "It'll start fraying."
Jamie stopped the nervous twitching of his fingers, his cheeks heating up. Frank gave him an amused grin. Jamie smiled nervously back.
"Do you feel you're ready?"
Jamie had been doing a lot of thinking over the last few days as he got used to being in training again. He nodded. "Yes, Sir."
Frank regarded him seriously. "I need you to be sure, Jamie. Are you ready?"
"Yes, Sir." Jamie replied again with no hesitation.
Frank continued to study him. Jamie swallowed nervously, unconsciously playing with the edge of his hat again. Frank smiled slightly. "I think you are too, son." he told him quietly. He stood, walking over to a locked cabinet. He reached inside.
Jamie watched as his gun and badge were placed in front of him on Frank's desk. Jamie reached for them, only a slight shake of his hand giving away his remaining nervous energy. He picked them up, looking up at his father as he did so. Frank gave him another smile. Jamie couldn't help but smile back.
"Thank you," he started. "Sir." he added, vaguely aware that Baker was standing at the back of the room as a witness and record keeper. Not that she would have minded, but he'd thought it better to keep up an air of professionalism.
Frank came around the side of the desk. He held out his hand, which Jamie automatically took in a firm grip. "Welcome back, Jamie."
"Thank you, Sir." Jamie repeated, finally feeling the relief that he'd been waiting all day for.
"Good luck, son." Frank told him. Jamie smiled again.
"Thanks. I'll be okay."
"I know." Frank said. "Go… Sergeant Renzulli will be waiting for you."
Jamie nodded, smiling again as he turned and left. Frank watched him until the door closed. He rubbed his forehead wearily as he moved behind his desk again, catching the sympathetic look Baker shot him as he sat down. She gave him a small smile, closing her file folder and standing up from the chair she had been sitting in.
"He'll be okay, Sir." she told him.
"I know, Baker." Frank smiled back. "Yet a parent can't help but worry sometimes."
"I understand, Sir." Baker replied, giving him a nod as she, too, walked out the door back to her own desk. Frank sat there for several minutes, his mind somewhere else. Finally, he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he shook his head, reaching for a file. He was glad he had his own appointment with Dr. Haynes that afternoon.
~~BB~~
Jamie stood at his locker, placing his dress blues inside. He had changed into his usual uniform as soon as he'd gotten the okay from his father. He snapped his gun back into place and had just reattached his badge when the door to the locker room opened.
"You're back!" an excited voice called. "You've been cleared!"
Jamie smiled, turning to face Renzulli. "Yes, Sir."
Tony smiled. "Are you ready to hit the streets?"
Jamie took a calming breath. Truthfully, he was still nervous about it because he hadn't been out there in so long, but he was eager to get started. He smiled. "Yeah, Sarge. I'm ready."
"Good." Tony smiled again. "Let's get going, shall we?"
Jamie nodded, following Tony out of the locker room and down to the parking lot.
~~BB~~
"How does it feel, Reagan?"
"How does what feel?" Jamie asked. "Being back on the street?"
"Yeah." Tony answered. "What did you think I meant?"
Jamie shrugged. "Nothing." he answered. "It feels good, Sarge… I'm really glad I'm back."
Tony smiled. "Good. You're doing really well."
Jamie smiled back. "Thanks."
They were standing at a nearby hot dog stand on their lunch break. The hours had flown by, and Jamie was happy to realize that he had been enjoying every minute of it.
"Wow… I never would have guessed."
Jamie turned, startled, to face the female standing behind him. Too stunned to greet her, he opted for nodding. Feeling foolish, he finally opened his mouth, much to her amusement.
"It's nice to see you again…" he stuttered.
She smiled. She looked exactly the same; her dark blond hair was pulled back into a neat bun, the red streaks having changed to purple. Her green eyes sparkled. She was wearing a skirted business suit and carrying a briefcase.
"You going to run from me again?" she asked sarcastically, a small smirk softening the blow of her words.
Jamie blushed slightly, unable to keep a small sheepish grin from his face. "No." he answered.
"Good." She smiled again, reaching into her briefcase. "Because I'm going to have to run from you… I'm going to be late for work. Here," she said, handing him a card after scribbling on the back. "My number… I'm hoping you'll still be interested in my offer."
Jamie nodded, remembering. "Thanks… I'm still interested."
"Good. I hope to see you soon, then." she told him, smiling and offering a small wave before turning and hurrying down the street. Jamie stood, still feeling stunned, as he stared down at the card. Her name and business number were on the front. He flipped it over.
Kimberly Williams
(home) 555-8467
(cell) 555-3971
He smiled, unaware that Renzulli was peering around his shoulder at the card in his hand.
"She's cute." Tony said, startling Jamie. "And look, she's a marketing agent. Oh, look at that! She's the owner of her own marketing business! Beautiful and smart!"
"Are you finished, Sir?"
"Yes." Tony smiled. "What was that all about, anyway?"
They started walking back towards where they parked the car. Jamie smiled.
"I met her about a month ago… I was on the bridge, looking out over the water when she showed up."
"She must have a good memory; the uniform changes us. Never mind that she saw you from the back."
"She saw me from the back at that time, too."
"Right. Did she think you were going to jump or something?" Tony teased. Jamie stayed silent for a few moments.
"Yes." he finally answered.
Tony's eyebrows raised. "I was kidding, Reagan."
"I'm not."
"She really thought… well, we did have a few jumpers around that time," Tony mused. "So it shouldn't really surprise me. Why did she ask you if you were going to run from her again?"
"Because I panicked and ran away…" Jamie trailed off, feeling rather stupid.
"Why?"
"Because I was afraid. I didn't want to face anyone's pity… I felt that if they saw me, saw the marks left behind from Caulfield, that they'd leave me because I was damaged goods… and I didn't want to have to live it again by explaining everything."
"I get that, Jamie." Tony replied softly. "Trust me, I understand. But you can't hide forever."
"I don't plan to." Jamie smiled, flicking the card between his fingers before stashing it safely in one of his rarely-used pants pockets. Tony smiled.
"Good for you, kid." he replied sincerely. "She seems really nice, and I only saw her for a minute!"
"I hope so, Sarge." Jamie replied, continuing to walk towards the car. "I really hope so."
~~BB~~
It was Sunday night. Erin, Henry, and Linda were finishing the last bit of cleaning up. Sean and Jack were outside playing basketball with Nicki. Frank, Danny, and Jamie were sitting in the living room, each with a cup of coffee.
"What's up, Jamie?" Danny finally asked. Jamie had been out of it since he'd arrived that night for the family dinner.
Jamie looked up, startled. "What do you mean?"
"You've been quiet tonight. You look like you're on another planet. You ignored Sean… that really seemed to bother him." Danny smirked, remembering his son stamping his foot in frustration and stomping out of the house to join his brother's one-man basketball game.
Jamie reddened. "I'm really sorry about that… I hate upsetting the kids…"
"He'll get over it." Danny shrugged.
Jamie nodded. He'd been staring off into space, completely unaware that his nephew had been tugging at his shirt sleeve and talking to him, trying to get his attention. It was only the frustrated stamp of his foot that brought Jamie back to reality; he'd quickly chased his stomping nephew outside, apologizing the entire way. Sean completely ignored him. Jack tried to reassure his uncle that Sean did this all the time and to give him at least an hour to cool off, then he'd be over it. Dejected, Jamie agreed and re-entered the house, much to his family's amusement.
"When are you going to call her?" Frank asked, drawing both Danny and Jamie's attention. He smiled at their surprised looks.
"What?" Jamie asked, stuttering. "I'm… that's not…"
"Yes it is." Frank smiled again. "A father just knows."
It was Danny's turn to grin. "Go Jamie! Who is she?"
Jamie reddened again, but smiled. "Believe it or not, Danny, the same one as the last time. The one I ran away from…"
"It must be a sign." Danny grinned. Frank looked confused.
"Why would you run away?"
Jamie sighed. "I didn't want her to know… I was afraid that if anyone saw me, they'd change their attitude towards me. I didn't want pity and I didn't want to relive it by explaining what happened all over again."
Frank nodded. "I understand, Jamie. But you're okay with it now?"
"Yeah, I'm okay with it, Dad." Jamie smiled. "I mean, if someone can't handle something that happened to me in the past, they're not the one for me anyway."
"You're right, son." Frank smiled. "I'm happy for you."
"Have you gone out with her yet?" Danny asked.
"No," Jamie answered. "I just ran into her yesterday. I have tomorrow off… I'm going to call her then, see if I can't set something up."
"Good." Danny said, lightly slapping Jamie's shoulder. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"No… I'll just think 'what would Danny do?' and do the opposite." Jamie replied sarcastically. Danny grumbled in response.
"Thanks a bunch, kid."
"Anytime."
Frank watched his sons banter back and forth, feeling at peace.
~~BB~~
-Epilogue, several months later-
Jamie relaxed against the back of the couch, his arm wrapped around Kimberly. There was a movie playing on TV, but neither were paying much attention to it. Jamie glanced down at her head resting on his shoulder, smiling softly. He poked her gently.
"Kim…"
"Hmm…" she mumbled. "What? What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Jamie smiled. "You fell asleep."
"Then why'd you wake me?" she grumbled.
"'Cause I have to get up… my arm's numb and my legs are starting to follow."
She laughed, sitting up and stretching. She yawned, peering at him as he tried to get feeling back in his limbs. She glanced at the skin on his back; his shirt had ridden up slightly, exposing a few scars. Absentmindedly, she reached out to gently run her fingers over them. He jumped at her touch.
"Sorry," she apologized.
Jamie shrugged. "That tickled… what were you doing?"
"You have a lot to tell me, don't you?" she replied softly.
He looked down, knowing immediately what she was talking about. "Yeah… yeah, I do."
She reached out, grasping his hand in hers. "You don't need to tell me now, you know." she told him. "But you should know that I'll be here when you're ready."
He looked at her, seeing the sincerity in her eyes. "Then you should know…"
"Jamie, I already said you don't have to say anything now."
"I want to, Kim… I don't want to hide anything from you."
She slid over, once again leaning against him. "Then I'm listening."
Jamie took a deep breath. "Several months ago, I was involved in a shooting… I hesitated, I was in the wrong area to being with, and things just went from bad to worse. A young boy was killed. I couldn't save him.
"The boy's brother was a drug dealer and a psychopath… yet he cared more for the boy than anything. He marked me… he wanted revenge.
"I was having a rough time and went on a solitude camping trip, much against my family's wishes and my own better judgement… of all the bad luck, Caulfield was there, committing murder of the man who had shot the boy. I witnessed it, and before I could get away to let the authorities know what was going on, he and his men had caught up to me. I spent what felt like forever with them… though it was barely a week. They tortured me… I'll admit, I was ready for death if it meant I could get away from them.
"Danny… Dad… they never gave up. They solved it, they found me… and I nearly died… they tell me that I did… then when I was finally starting to heal, I thought I could get over it myself. It all exploded in my face."
Kimberly hugged him, but remained silent. When it appeared that he was finished talking, she moved so that she was looking up at him. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. His eyes were worried.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine, babe." she replied quietly. "I'm just taking it all in… that day I found you on the bridge, why did you run?"
He looked away. "I was ashamed. I didn't want pity. I didn't want to relive it by explaining it."
"You know this changes nothing, right?" she told him firmly. He looked at her in surprise.
"What?"
"This doesn't change how I feel." she said. "I'm angry, sure… I can't believe anyone is heartless enough to do that to someone… but I don't pity you. Clearly you're a lot stronger than that bastard thought. You're still here, after all."
He smiled down at her. "Yeah. I've been hearing that a lot."
She smiled back. "Then I hope you believe it."
"I do. Believe me, it took a long time to get here, but I really do."
"Good." she replied, sitting up. She reached for him. "I want to see."
"What?" Jamie asked again, feeling slightly nervous, and quite foolish. 'What' was becoming a rather familiar word in his vocabulary.
"I want to see what he did to you." she insisted quietly. "Remember, it changes nothing."
He nodded, swallowing nervously. He wasn't rushing their relationship – he'd had enough of rushing – so he'd never had to show her anything. Now here she was, practically demanding that he remove his shirt. He sighed, unbuttoning the front. He realized his hands were shaking when she gently placed hers over them, giving them a light squeeze.
"Let me." she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Deftly, she undid the buttons, biting her lip as she noticed the fading scars on his chest. "You have them on your back, too…"
"Yes…" he mumbled, shrugging out of his shirt and turning his back to her. He shivered as her fingers ran lightly over his back.
"These will always be a part of you," she told him. "They will always signal a change in your life… but they don't have to become you. You don't have to live by these scars."
He turned back to face her, wordlessly drawing her into his arms. She hugged him back tightly.
"Kim…"
"Yeah?"
"I know you have to work tomorrow… but I'm asking you to stay."
"Jamie…"
"I don't want anything from you," he rushed to clarify. "I just want you near me tonight. Please, babe... stay."
She leaned forward, capturing his lips in her own. "Anything you want." she murmured, leaning in again.
~~BB~~
-A few weeks later-
They lay together early Sunday morning, just enjoying each others company. Absentmindedly, he played with her hair, thinking.
"Kim… would you like to meet the rest of my family? Our regular dinner is tonight."
"Why Jamieson, after six months I thought you'd never ask!" she replied sarcastically.
"I've asked before!" he defended himself. "You've always been busy."
She laughed. "I'm teasing you, babe. You're right… work's been awful. It meant a lot of extra time on Sunday nights just to get ready for Monday morning. But it's slowed down now… and I'd love to meet your family."
He smiled. "Good… they've been asking about you." He frowned. "Danny's convinced that I've made up an imaginary girlfriend."
She laughed again. "We'll have to prove him wrong then, won't we?" she murmured, kissing him lightly. He grinned against her lips.
"I like your way of thinking." he smirked, flipping them. She squealed, but soon gave up on any attempts at conversation.
~~BB~~
Jamie watched from the sidelines as Kimberly got right into it with Erin and Linda in the kitchen. He smiled as he heard them laughing with each other.
"How's it going, kid?"
Jamie smiled at Danny. "Great." he replied. "She's amazing…"
Danny smiled. "You really like her, don't you?"
"Yeah… I never felt quite like this with Sydney before. Kim loves to have fun… everything's a laugh with her… and she doesn't seem bothered by the fact that sometimes I have to cancel dates, or leave a date early, or postpone our plans."
Danny squeezed his shoulder. "Have you told her?" he asked seriously.
"Yeah… a few weeks ago." Jamie answered. "She wanted to see the marks… she was angry that someone could hate humanity so much to do that to a person, but nothing's changed. In fact, it's better than before."
Danny grinned at him. "What did I tell you?"
"That I'd find someone who would care and nothing would change that."
"Exactly."
Jamie snorted. "No need to puff yourself up, Danny. You were right."
"I wasn't puffing myself up," Danny defended himself. "I just wanted to say I told you so."
"Sure, Danny." Jamie smirked. "Whatever you say."
"I like seeing you like this."
"Like what?"
"Happy." Danny smiled. "In love."
"Danny… it's only been a little over six months." Jamie sighed.
Danny looked him over. "Perhaps. But I can tell." he smiled again.
Jamie grinned sheepishly. "I don't know yet, Danny. But I know that I care a lot for her."
"Then go with it. See where it takes you."
"Thanks, Danny." Jamie smiled.
"Anytime."
"Dinner!" Erin hollered from the kitchen, causing the family to stampede into the dining room. Jamie sat down, Kim immediately taking the seat next to him. She smiled at him.
"Your family's amazing." she murmured, giving his hand a light squeeze under the table.
"You haven't spent enough time with Danny yet." he murmured back, causing her to laugh, which she quickly tried to turn into a cough, causing Jamie to laugh. Danny glowered from the other side of the table.
"You two are talking about me."
"No." they chorused innocently, grinning secretively at each other. Danny just shook his head, smiling at Jamie before turning to chat with his sons.
Jamie could feel eyes on him. He glanced quickly at his father, who had been watching them interact. Frank smiled contentedly, giving him a nod. Jamie smiled, knowing that was his father's way of saying he approved; he didn't even seem to mind that the streaks in her hair were now green. Jamie had asked her about that one day, about why she changed colours so often. She replied that it made her stand out, feel different amongst the mundane, yet was something she could do that wouldn't harm anyone.
He liked her even more after that response.
He glanced around at his family, watching as they chatted happily with each other. He glanced at Kim, who was happily asking Nicki about school and boys and other girly things. He smiled, the warm glow of love and support surrounding him. Erin smiled at him over their heads. He grinned back.
Everything was the way it should be.
He was home.
~~END~~