A/N: Sorry no Friday chapter. Never tell the universe you have a day off scheduled; it takes it as a challenge. But Saturday was a wonderful break from everything for at least one day.
Possibly more later today or tomorrow if not, depending on work flow. Work usually is a bit irregular getting into rhythm on Mondays and has unpredictable gaps. We will return to House and Jensen promptly, and Jensen will finish reading the letters soon, but I thought I'd go ahead and give you this little scene this morning to enjoy while you're waiting for the medical and psych part.
(H/C)
Soft footsteps approached with the bubbling rhythm of childhood, unable to keep a sedate pace even while trying to be quiet. Thomas surfaced from sleep quickly, his mind immediately on line. The hotel recliner was unfamiliar if comfortable beneath him, but the sound of Rachel trying to sneak up on him took him straight back across the decades, reviving a memory that had slept for several years. He had been back with his family for a week off in between two assignments, and on the first day, still worn out from the mission he'd just come off of, he had been taking an afternoon nap in the living room of their current rental house. Tim, a 3-year-old package of irrepressible lively humor, had woken up from his own nap and sneaked out into the living room, escaping Emily's notice briefly to stalk his father. He, too, had never quite been able to walk flat footed anywhere, inserting grace notes into his step if he wasn't actually running. At least, he never had up until the horses, which steadied all of his movements.
Thomas half opened one eye and peered beneath the lid. Rachel was creeping up in a comical version of tip-toeing from the girls' bedroom. No sign of Marina or Abby. Lisa was presumably still in the other bedroom asleep herself, and Wilson had fallen half over on the couch in that awkward posture you wind up in if you had been sitting up straight thinking and were ambushed by sleep unawares. Thomas gave an inner wince at the thought of what the other man's neck and back would feel like once he woke.
Rachel was trying so hard to be quiet that she was actually making more noise doing it. Thomas let his eye close all the way again and surrendered to the memory of long ago, doing the same thing now that he had then with Tim. He gave a soft stage snore. Rachel giggled, a sound that warmed him to the core. She crept a little closer. Thomas snored again, and unexpectedly, Wilson entered the act, snoring himself. Rachel nearly went into convulsions trying to keep her hilarity quiet at that; Thomas heard her feet trip slightly, and the giggle was threatening to erupt into full laughter. Thomas gave another snore, and Wilson repeated it. Curious, Thomas opened one eye to a slit again and looked over. The oncologist was still completely out with head askew and breathing deep and regular; he, at least, wasn't playing. Another snore from the recliner was echoed from the couch. Rachel was almost up to them now, and Thomas watched surreptitiously as she looked from him to Wilson, debated, then turned to him, reaching out toward his face curiously.
Just as Emily had years ago, so Marina now disrupted their game. "Rachel!" she whispered firmly, exiting the bedroom with a confident if quiet step. "Come back here!" Abby padded after her.
Rachel darted around the far side of the chair, trying to hide behind him, and Thomas opened both eyes all the way and sat up a little, yawning. "What time is it?" He looked at his watch, answering his own question. He had been asleep for almost two hours. He felt better for it, though still too tired after the two disrupted nights. He shifted his foot subtly, testing, and the stab of pain would have woken him up if he hadn't already been. He'd definitely be missing his morning walk for a few more days while that bruise healed.
Marina abandoned quiet pursuit for apology. "I'm so sorry. I was trying to keep them occupied, but she got away from me while I had Abby in the bathroom."
"It's okay. I had a very good nap anyway." He looked over at Rachel, standing at the side of his chair with impish eyes. She did remind him, in personality though not in looks, of Tim.
Only she wasn't Tim, and it wasn't years ago, and this current reality would end tomorrow, and he would go back home alone to the big, empty house. He seized her with an urgency that surprised her, lifting her over the arm of the chair, hugging her fiercely. Rachel, willing enough even if caught off guard, hugged him back, and Wilson gave a disrupted final snore and stirred, coming stiffly upright on the couch.
"What time is it?" He looked around the four of them a little sheepishly, caught red-napped. He rubbed at his neck and shoulder, trying to work the kink out.
"It's 3:30," Thomas told him. He wondered what Greg and Jensen were doing right now; one of the appointments, he thought. He also wondered what else they had been doing today and hoped it was helping.
Rachel, secure in Thomas' arms, grinned at Wilson. "Wilson sleepyhead!" she taunted. She then gave a dramatic snore, fortissimo. Abby thought this was hilarious and trotted over to join the group, her golden laughter filling the room.
Wilson rolled his eyes. "I did not sound like that," he insisted.
"Did, too." Rachel snored again, even louder, and Abby laughed again.
Marina smiled. "I'd better go wake up Dr. Cuddy. She won't want to miss things now that the rest of us are awake."
Thomas' amusement at the scene with the girls and Wilson faded. No, Lisa wouldn't want to miss things, because she, like he, knew that the clock was running out on them at the moment. Whatever the future might hold, the present was almost over. He sighed softly. Rachel, leaning companionably back against him, was still mocking Wilson and didn't notice, but Abby did. Thomas felt a soft, tentative poke on his arm and looked over into his father's eyes. "You okay?" Abby asked.
He smiled at her. "I'm fine, Abby." Those eyes held their focus, curious, watching him. She didn't look away until her mother, briskly sheepish herself at being the last one up, emerged from the bedroom, and then Abby abandoned analysis of the world temporarily and turned and ran to her to be swooped up in a hug. Rachel slid down to go greet her mother herself and then to find the stuffed Ember, and the routine, precious afternoon with the girls resumed.