"Dad, can we watch a movie together when you're done eating?" Edward asked hopefully.
"No movies tonight," Kate interjected firmly. "You have to get up early tomorrow, remember?"
"Please, Mom?" Edward pleaded, his eyes wide and imploring. "We'll only watch for a little bit, then straight to bed. Promise!"
Kate's resolve wavered in the face of her son's puppy-dog eyes. With a sigh, she relented, unable to deny her children this rare evening with their father.
As Kate finished with the dishes, Nick came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and planting a kiss on her cheek.
"You're the best mom and wife in the world," he murmured. Kate's smile widened, the tension of the past weeks melting away in the warmth of the moment.
"I love you all so very much," she replied softly.
Nick headed to the living room, Edward and Gina flanking him on either side.
"So, what shall we watch?" he asked, settling onto the couch.
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!" the children exclaimed in unison.
"Alright then, let's do it!"
They all cuddled together on the couch, Nick in the middle with the children snuggled against him on either side. As the familiar theme music filled the room, Nick felt the day's worries begin to recede, replaced by the simple joy of being with his family.
"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Edward's voice, tinged with amusement, roused Nick from an unexpected slumber. He felt a small finger poking his stomach gently.
"Did I fall asleep?" Nick mumbled, blinking in confusion.
He had been so exhausted, yet so content, that he hadn't even noticed drifting off. Nearly an hour and a half had passed, the movie long since ended. Kate, he realized, had already gone to bed.
"Okay, kids, time for bed," he announced, stifling a yawn. "We'll finish the movie another night."
After tucking the children in, Nick headed to the kitchen for a glass of water before turning in himself. As he reached for a glass, his mobile phone, left on the kitchen table, began to ring. The caller ID showed it was Christian.
"What could have happened now? It's 12:10 AM," Nick muttered, a knot of anxiety forming in his stomach.
"Hello, Christian. What's up?"
Christian's voice crackled through the speaker, urgency evident in his tone. "Nick, you need to come in right away. Bradley Force and Sheriff Jeffrey have been brought to the station. Jeffrey burst into the house of a guy named Peter Gomez – apparently, he's a drug addict and a friend of Bradley and Steven. Jeffrey started shooting up the place with his pistol! Thankfully, no one was injured. The neighbors heard the shots and called it in quickly. Steven Cooper and Peter managed to escape in the chaos."
"Christ," Nick swore under his breath. "I'm on my way."
"Alright, I'll meet you there."
As Nick hung up, he realized that any hope of sleep had vanished. He didn't wake Kate, not wanting to burden her with this new development. Instead, he quickly changed back into his work clothes and headed out into the night, his mind racing with the implications of Jeffrey's reckless actions.
