[QT!] Randy K. Milholland quote
[Personal fanon - they haven’t given us much on Angell’s family other than four brothers and a detective sergeant father, so I’m just writing what she tells me. If canon corrects, I will correct as well.]
“Our heroes are people and people are flawed. Don't let that taint the thing you love.”
Jess kicked off the dirt on her shoes before making her way into the house, letting her head duck around the corner of the door, to avoid being trampled by a stray brother hiding around the corner. She closed the door quietly behind her, and waited for a moment in the silence, just to be certain that there was no one else around, before shouting up into the house. “Hey Dad! You here?”
“That you, Jessie?” the raspy voice sighed. She heard the click of the cane coming across the floor, and went to meet him halfway. A shattered hip bone from a stray bullet didn’t exactly make moving around the easiest, and she wanted to make sure he didn’t move any more than he had to. And that wound up being them meeting halfway through the living room in a warm hug, feeling herself start to relax a bit. Until she started choking on the leftover cigarette fumes.
“Dad-I thought I told you to lay off the smokes.”
“Now you listen to me-I’ve been smoking for almost forty years now, and just because some doctor tells me that they’re going to kill me ain’t gonna push me anywhere closer to stoppin’. If they’re gonna kill me, at least I know how I’m gonna go.”
“Does my opinion count?” she said with a smirk as she pulled away from him. “Does the fact that I may want you around for a while matter at all?”
“Well, you know me and the guy upstairs-we got a deal goin’,” Angell smirked as he lowered himself into one of his armchairs, letting the cane fall to the side. “I’m gonna be around long enough to see you walk down the aisle. And then after the reception-kaput, we’re done.”
“So maybe I’ll just never get married then, and you’ll have to stick around forever.”
“Oh, don’t start that with me, Jessie. I’m sure there are a lot of nice young boys out there that you can get together and settle down with. Make sure your old man knows you’ll be taken care of when he’s gone.”
“Even if my old man knows I can take care of myself?” she said, giving him a look.
“Your old man may want grandkids-even if he’s never going to see them.”
“Hey-don’t start that.”
“I’m serious, Jessie-I’m sure there are lotsa nice guys that you’re working with, down at the precinct. Plus-you’re workin’ with the crime lab, right? The smart ones?”
She smirked slightly as she sat down across the couch. “Sure, Dad. Though, I do wind up spending a lot of my time with a Detective Flack-”
“Girl, are you tryin’ to give me a heart attack?” Her father’s eyes narrowed as he gave her a look. “You stay away from that Flack boy. Flacks are nothing but trouble. Trust me. I was on the force with his father-I know what I’m talking about.”
“Oh, Dad-he’s not that bad.”
“You say that now-and then the next thing you know, you’re knocked up and he’s heading for the hills because he can’t handle the responsibility.”
“Dad-you’ve never even met the guy.”
“I don’t need to meet them to see a pattern, Jessica. Stay away from that Flack kid.”
“Alright, alright-I’ll stay away from him. Doesn’t even matter, he’s got a girlfriend anyway.”
“What girl would be stupid enough to date a boy like him?”
“Dad-stop. Now.”
“Alright, alright-I’ll stop.” He grumbled as he leaned back in the arm chair, closing eyes for a minute and just relaxing. “Workin’ any interesting cases lately?”
“I’m sure you heard all about that Taxi Cab killer,” she said with a sigh, kicking her shoes off and stretching out on the couch next to him.
“You’re on that?”
“Whole damn department’s on it,” she said with a sigh. “Nobody’s sleeping till they catch this guy.”
“If that’s the case then what the hell are you doin’ stretched out on my couch, Jessie?”
She smirked. “I’m maxed out on my overtime. They can’t legally keep me anymore.”
“Funny the way that works, ain’t it?”
“Tell me about it,” she said with a sigh.
“You look tired, kid.”
“Haven’t gotten decent sleep in a few days,” she replied, letting her eyes close for a minute as she relaxed in a familiar place. “So yeah-guess I am.”
“Get some sleep.”
“No, Dad,” she sighed, shaking herself awake as she did. “I came to see you.”
“Oh, don’t gimme that shit,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You sleep. I’ll make dinner for us later, alright?”
She gave him a small smile before closing her eyes again, letting herself get some rest. “Night, Dad.”
“Night, Jessie.”
795 words
“Our heroes are people and people are flawed. Don't let that taint the thing you love.”
Jess kicked off the dirt on her shoes before making her way into the house, letting her head duck around the corner of the door, to avoid being trampled by a stray brother hiding around the corner. She closed the door quietly behind her, and waited for a moment in the silence, just to be certain that there was no one else around, before shouting up into the house. “Hey Dad! You here?”
“That you, Jessie?” the raspy voice sighed. She heard the click of the cane coming across the floor, and went to meet him halfway. A shattered hip bone from a stray bullet didn’t exactly make moving around the easiest, and she wanted to make sure he didn’t move any more than he had to. And that wound up being them meeting halfway through the living room in a warm hug, feeling herself start to relax a bit. Until she started choking on the leftover cigarette fumes.
“Dad-I thought I told you to lay off the smokes.”
“Now you listen to me-I’ve been smoking for almost forty years now, and just because some doctor tells me that they’re going to kill me ain’t gonna push me anywhere closer to stoppin’. If they’re gonna kill me, at least I know how I’m gonna go.”
“Does my opinion count?” she said with a smirk as she pulled away from him. “Does the fact that I may want you around for a while matter at all?”
“Well, you know me and the guy upstairs-we got a deal goin’,” Angell smirked as he lowered himself into one of his armchairs, letting the cane fall to the side. “I’m gonna be around long enough to see you walk down the aisle. And then after the reception-kaput, we’re done.”
“So maybe I’ll just never get married then, and you’ll have to stick around forever.”
“Oh, don’t start that with me, Jessie. I’m sure there are a lot of nice young boys out there that you can get together and settle down with. Make sure your old man knows you’ll be taken care of when he’s gone.”
“Even if my old man knows I can take care of myself?” she said, giving him a look.
“Your old man may want grandkids-even if he’s never going to see them.”
“Hey-don’t start that.”
“I’m serious, Jessie-I’m sure there are lotsa nice guys that you’re working with, down at the precinct. Plus-you’re workin’ with the crime lab, right? The smart ones?”
She smirked slightly as she sat down across the couch. “Sure, Dad. Though, I do wind up spending a lot of my time with a Detective Flack-”
“Girl, are you tryin’ to give me a heart attack?” Her father’s eyes narrowed as he gave her a look. “You stay away from that Flack boy. Flacks are nothing but trouble. Trust me. I was on the force with his father-I know what I’m talking about.”
“Oh, Dad-he’s not that bad.”
“You say that now-and then the next thing you know, you’re knocked up and he’s heading for the hills because he can’t handle the responsibility.”
“Dad-you’ve never even met the guy.”
“I don’t need to meet them to see a pattern, Jessica. Stay away from that Flack kid.”
“Alright, alright-I’ll stay away from him. Doesn’t even matter, he’s got a girlfriend anyway.”
“What girl would be stupid enough to date a boy like him?”
“Dad-stop. Now.”
“Alright, alright-I’ll stop.” He grumbled as he leaned back in the arm chair, closing eyes for a minute and just relaxing. “Workin’ any interesting cases lately?”
“I’m sure you heard all about that Taxi Cab killer,” she said with a sigh, kicking her shoes off and stretching out on the couch next to him.
“You’re on that?”
“Whole damn department’s on it,” she said with a sigh. “Nobody’s sleeping till they catch this guy.”
“If that’s the case then what the hell are you doin’ stretched out on my couch, Jessie?”
She smirked. “I’m maxed out on my overtime. They can’t legally keep me anymore.”
“Funny the way that works, ain’t it?”
“Tell me about it,” she said with a sigh.
“You look tired, kid.”
“Haven’t gotten decent sleep in a few days,” she replied, letting her eyes close for a minute as she relaxed in a familiar place. “So yeah-guess I am.”
“Get some sleep.”
“No, Dad,” she sighed, shaking herself awake as she did. “I came to see you.”
“Oh, don’t gimme that shit,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You sleep. I’ll make dinner for us later, alright?”
She gave him a small smile before closing her eyes again, letting herself get some rest. “Night, Dad.”
“Night, Jessie.”
795 words