I’ll Be Home For Christmas

Chapter One

“I don’t like him,” Jackson stated, crossing his arms as he sat in one of his leather office chairs.

Lisa sat across from him. “Dr. Carr came highly recommended—“

“Am I the only one who noticed how much he looks like Despotis?”

“Jackson, I hate to seem rude, but you look like him, too. You’re the spitting image of Despotis, yet she doesn’t seem to fear you.”

He scowled at his wife of close to a decade. “She doesn’t talk to me either.”

“Then maybe she’ll talk to him,” she urged, moving towards him. “This might be a good way of helping her deal with what’s happened.”

Jackson shook his head, still not willing to listen. “I don’t know, Leese. I want to do what’s right for her, but I don’t know what that is.”

“This might be our last chance to help Kim. We need to let Dr. Carr do his job. You agreed, remember?

“I remember…but I still don’t like it. I don’t trust him, Leese.”

“Have Katherine do a background check if you don’t trust him. You know playing a full-time homemaker will only satisfy her for so long…” Lisa suggested. Their oldest daughter was just as flighty as her father.

“She is not going back in the field,” Jackson said firmly, his icy eyes dark. “I don’t care what she thinks—it’s too risky for her.”

I won’t lose her. I also won’t let her children grow up without their mother. She won’t go back into the field and neither will Aidan. I won’t let that happen…

“Just let her do a background check! I think you will both feel better about Dr. Carr. Actually, I’m willing to bet that you will both sleep easier once you do…” Lisa insisted, looking directly at her husband’s piercing stare.

Jackson sighed. He had known she was stubborn—all three of his daughters were as well—but it still surprised him that Lisa would want to bring Kat into the mess. Katherine wasn’t even aware that Kim was being treated by a psychiatrist. If she’d known, she would have insisted on evaluating him and found some flaw with him and any other shrink they suggested. Once she dismissed them all, he knew Katherine would dust off her unfinished psych degree and attempted to treat her sister by herself.

“Fine,” he relented. “Where is Katherine anyways?”

“You want me to do what?” Kat questioned, her cell phone pressed between her ear and her shoulder as she held Lara.

“I need you to do a background check on a man named Dr. Riley Carr. C-A-R-R. Your mother’s hired him—“

“What the hell would she do that for?”

She heard her dad sigh. He sounded worn-out.

“Katy girl, Kim still won’t speak—“

“So you hired a shrink? Get real, dad. You hate when people put our family under a microscope.”

Footsteps sounded on the wooden floor of the foyer. “Kat?” a male voice called.

“Katherine, Kim is ill. She needs help—“

“What she needs is family, not some pompous asshole with more degrees than brain cells!” she hissed over the phone.

Lara looked up at her, blinking her blue eyes. “Ma?”

As Jackson tried to rebut her accusation, Aidan Murphy walked into the living room. His hazel eyes went from Lara to Kat to the phone. “Let me take her,” he offered, reaching for Lara.

“Da!” Lara cheered, holding her hands out for her father.

“How’s my girl?” he said with a wide smile, picking up his daughter. Lara giggled.

Kat stood up from the couch and laid a hand over the mouthpiece. “Thanks, Aidan. It’s dad…”

“Oh, now that explains that really sour look you gave me when I walked in.”

“Sorry. I’ll make it up to you later.”

“I’m counting on it,” he teased, giving her a quick kiss. “Now, go give him an earful.”

“You know I will.”

The Next Day

Carr didn't bother to knock on Kim's door—it wasn't like she was going to tell him to come in. He walked right in, a notebook in his hand, and sat on the edge of the bed with a smile on his face.

Kim stirred slightly, curling up a little more in her sleep. Starting to wake up.

He touched her soft hair. She looked so fragile in her sleep. He almost didn't want to wake her.

"Good morning, angel," he whispered into her ear.

She groaned and shook her head. She didn't want to wake up. He couldn’t blame her—she looked so warm and comfortable in her bed.

Still, if he didn’t wake her and get to work, Jackson Robertson might get suspicious. The other man had put his foot down the other day. If he didn’t know any better, he would say that Jackson didn’t trust psychiatrists.

He gently shook her shoulder. "Kim... you need to wake up..."

Kim sat up, resting her back against the wall behind the bed. Her head aimed was aimed at him, but her golden eyes were still shut tight. She was only wearing an old jersey.

"Damion Black, hmm? An old boyfriend, I presume?" Riley said, fingering the jersey. He could see the name printed on the front. "Not that you are going to talk about him..."

She wrapped her arms around herself and slid away from him. Was she afraid of him?

"He's dead," she whispered.

"Dead? What a shame. Do you want to talk about Damion?" he offered, reaching for his notebook. He would have to look up this Damion fellow once he had a spare moment.

"No," she whispered, eyeing him almost as if he were mentally retarded. "There's no point. HE'S DEAD."

"Do you miss Damion, Kim? Were you close?" he asked, ignoring her remark. There was more to this story—he could feel it.

"We were going to get married.”

"How did Damion die?"

"Johnson killed him…”

"Were you there? When Damion died?" He looked at her, the notebook open in his hands as he took notes. He was already starting to fill up the blank pages.

Kim ignored the question and peered at his notebook curiously.

"Your father wants me to take notes," Carr explained, patting the notebook. "That's what this is for. This is why we need to talk. Talking will make you feel better."

She crossed her arms and legs. Her lips pressed into a thin line. She was done talking.

"Don't you want to talk about Damion?" he suggested. "Can you tell me what he was like?"

"Why?”

"Well," he began, sliding his glasses off, "I would like to know more about him. It's obvious that his death is bothering you.”

"It has nothing to do with anything. It happened a long time ago," she said. "I'm done. Go."

"Therapy doesn't work like that, Kim. Your father is paying me for results." He kept the notebook open, making a notation at her unwillingness to talk about Damion.

How did you die? It was obviously traumatic for her… were you very much in love? Who were you, Damion? Why are you special?

She tucked her lips into her mouth and turned her back to him. She was sending him all the signals that she was done. Damn, she was stubborn.

Riley sighed, closing the notebook. "I'll be back later, Kim. Hopefully you'll be ready to talk then."

Kim didn't say anything. Her eyes glared at the wall, tears falling down her unmoving face.

He stood up, heading towards the door. It was a shame that someone as fiery as her, as perfect, was being held back by her past. She could have so much more in her life if she would listen to him.

I will fix you, he swore in his mind. I will fix you, and once I do, I will never let you go.

Author’s Notes:

So far, the only big change I need to explain is the doctor’s name. I know I said it was Jason Carr in the prologue, but it’s really Riley Carr. My mistake. BregoBeauty

Please read and review! Constructive crit is welcome! Enjoy!

Sana- Carr is a creep. I’m not even going to lie. Kim definitely doesn’t deserve this, but, unfortunately, Carr’s a little loopy. It’s okay that you’ve been behind—I totally understand. I have this feeling that The Subtle Knife is in your hands or very nearby as you’re reading this—and as I’m writing this. I’m glad you like it so far! We’ve got most of it written out…I’m just slow at putting it all together and changing names. Enjoy and thanks soo much for the review! BregoBeauty