A/N: Christmas is a time for miracles, when the impossible truly can happen. We hope this little tale brightens your day. R/R.
"A Christmas Miracle"
Frank and Denise packed the car for the trip. Molly played in the living room so as not to get in the way. "Dee almost ready? We have to hit the road."
"I know I'm trying to make sure we have the gifts for everyone," she replied. "A lot of people will be there, I don't want to miss anyone." Frank rolled his eyes; he didn't even want to go. "Just don't forget Molly's gifts she the only one who deserves any."
Denise waved him off and continued to pack the car.
After another ten minutes she called out that she was ready. They both got into the car, angry from an argument the night before. They were just about to back out when Denise gasped, "Where's Molly?"
She bolted out of the car and saw her daughter, wide eyed and sobbing on the front walk.
"You gonna go without Molly?" she asked when Denise scooped her up. Frank did as well running to hold them both. "Of course not," he soothed then fibbed. "Mommy and Daddy were teasing we'd never leave our Molly."
Denise hugged her tight and carried her to the car. Frank belted her into the booster seat and kissed her nose. "Okay let's go."
"Can we play Peanuts movie?" she asked softly. She was a very small subdued little girl. "Of course, Mommy will put it on." Soon they were underway listening to Charlie Brown.
Frank watched the sky and listened to the radio as he drove. It called for a severe snow storm later in the evening.
"We better stop early honey," he replied. "Your brother's house is about six miles east of the interstate."
Denise looked out at the graying skyline. "Okay, whatever you think is best."
She hated her brother's house; he hated Frank and made no bones about telling her at every turn how worthless he was.
"Dee why do we go to Sam's house when we both know how much he hates me?"
"Because he's my brother and we have to," she replied. "Why do you go to Gwen's when you know she hates me?"
"Gwen doesn't hate you."
"You couldn't pour that in a round bowl."
Frank turned the car towards the house and pulled into the driveway just as the snow was beginning to fall and the wind whip around them.
Frank picked up Molly as Denise held onto belt, As Frank neared the house he saw it was dark and looked quiet. Nobody was home."
"Damn," he sighed. "Okay, we don't have the gas to stay in the car too long. Does he have a hide-a-key?"
"I think in the wood pile in a tin box. Frank handed Molly to her so he could work on the door.
It was quick and they were inside. Denise called her brother and told her they'd let themselves in, it was too cold for Molly outside.
"Well let's start a fire and get warm. I'll look for food staples.
Molly was so small Frank constantly worried about her. She shook as Denise undressed her. "Molly did you wet yourself?" She was hunkering down and covering her front with her hands.
Frank went to get their bags so she could change Molly. Frank came back "It's snowing."
"It's going to for a bit," Denise sighed. "Molly you want Mommy or Daddy to clean you up?" Molly was very very clingy.
Denise changed her and Frank held her as they sat by the fireplace. Molly looked around and said very quietly, "I'm hungry."
"You are...well I bet we can fix that, can't we Mommy?" Frank asked and snuggled his baby close. "We have your food in the bag there." Denise fixed the food and a snack for herself and Frank. Fifteen minutes later they had a small picnic in front of the fire.
Finally Samuel and his wife Bridget arrived home with bags of food. Molly saw them, screeched and hid behind the couch.
Frank gently picked her up as Denise told Samuel what had happened. She went into the kitchen with Bridget as Samuel and Frank talked.
"Is this my little niece?" he asked and reached for Molly who held tight to Frank's neck. "Daddy keep me."
"She's a little wary of strangers. Let's sit and see how bad the weather is really going to get."
"She sounds like she's a little spoiled," Sam replied. "My boys aren't like that."
"She's not spoiled, she doesn't know you. Maybe in a while she will warm up to you."
Molly leaned up and whispered to Frank, "Don't like him." Frank laughed, "You ought not to know to not like people baby," he told her. "Go see Mommy."
Molly ran to the kitchen as Frank gather the remnants of their snack.
They bedded down for the night all three Sherwoods together. They snuggled in the guest bed and hoped Molly would be able to sleep through the night. She was a good girl but very sheltered by her parents which made her skittish and often easy to frighten.
After a few hours Molly woke up crying saying she was cold and wanted to go home,
Frank sighed, "You can't baby, we're going to visit Uncle Michael and Aunt Claudia and Emmi. You want to do that again right?" She nodded up and down, "Cold here." "Ssh, I know...let's wrap you up okay? Wrap you up all tight." He got some towels and wrapped Molly. She was asleep before he finished. The next morning there was 2 feet of snow on the ground.
Against his better judgment they headed out into the snow covered roads.
They made good time the next couple of days the storm systems following them steadily. As they headed north through he Dakotas they got caught up in two of them, whirling around so white Frank couldn't see. He'd lost his GPS signal a long time before. As he was trying to find a local hotel the car skidded, spun, and lurched, leaving everyone in the family in the darkness.
When Frank couldn't get the car to move he knew they were stuck. He looked down afraid to look at Denise ,she would see the fear in his eyes.
Only she didn't, her eyes were close and her head against the window. Molly's eyes were close as well, her little arm was caught.
Frank checked Denise and determined she was still with them. He then released Molly's pinned arm.
It hung at an odd angle and he knew it was broken. He shook Denise hard to try to revive her. "Dee, wake up. Wake up Dee!"
She was slow to respond another bad sign. He made a restraining aid so Molly couldn't move her arm. It was strapped to her body. Denise sat there as if in a stupor.
"Dee, please baby," he begged. "Wake up, the baby is hurt, you have to help me."
Denise tried to help but her head was foggy and any movement brought on a wave of nausea.
"Frank what is that smell?" Denise asked her nose already engaged when she had a headache. He smelled it as well, gasoline.
"Oh my God, we have to get out of the car. Can you walk? I'll carry Molly."
"I can walk; she's going to be a handful with that broken arm. We have to make tracks. Stick together, rest every ten minutes, and do not stop moving."
As they made their way away from the car, they heard a muted whoosh and the car became engulfed in flames.
Molly started to wake up as the cold air hit her. She felt the pain in her arm and the sting in her cheek and started to fuss.
"Molly you have to stay still so daddy can carry you. Okay?" She nodded sleepy. They trudged on through the knee high snow, not knowing where they were going.
"Okay this is Dakota, there are a lot of farms out here, and we'll happen upon something. Frank looked up, "Damn it, not a star in the sky."
Denise was starting to slow down and her head hurt badly. She stumbled a few times and this time she had no reserves to get back up.
Frank saw her and knew they were in trouble; he'd have to get them some kind of shelter and go on alone.
"Dee!" he snapped. "Dee!" Frank dropped to his knees. "Denise, talk to me baby."
"I'm so tired Frank. I don't think I can go on. Take Molly send someone for me." Frank helped her to her feet, "If you stop now you will die. Walk Dee one foot in front of the other."
"I can't..." She sagged into him and was sick to her stomach. "Frank please...please..." Molly started to cry, she nearly disappeared in a snowbank... he had to shelter them as best he could and go on alone.
He dug a pit in the snow and put Denise in it with Molly on her lap. He then covered them with the poncho. He told them he loved them and struck out alone for help.
"Okay Molly," Denise said to her little one. "Let's sing Christmas songs to keep warm, you pick one." Molly loved to sing and soon both mother and child were softly singing while Frank hiked off to get anyone to help.
He walked for only about an hour, but to him it felt like an eternity before he saw a house. He hiked up to it and pounded on the door. A man opened it "Who are you and what do you want?"
"Name's Frank Sherwood, Lt. Colonel in the Army, my family and I crashed, truck exploded, my wife and daughter are out there hurt, I need help."
"In the snow? You left them?"
"I had no choice, can you help me? Help us please."
"We're not gonna get a car...let's call 911 when they get here we'll go out and get them."
Meanwhile Denise and Molly were freezing in the snow. "Mommy I'm cold..." She started to fuss just as they saw someone come out of the distance. In the mean time, Frank chose to go on to another home for a four wheel drive car while his first helper called for rescue.
The sheriff's deputies and a fire brigade headed out right away searching the road, after an hour they realized they were going to need stronger equipment, infrared cameras and helicopters, the Army had those, it would cut the search time in half and possibly save a life.
Jeremy was on his way to surprise his family in Montana. He'd been pronounced dead he knew that, and he wanted to give his family the gift of himself. "We have a family, wife and daughter of a Colonel out in a bank, Sheriff requested air and infrared assistant, their names are Denise and Molly Sherwood."
"That's my mother!" Jeremy called out. "Let me go, let me help them please."
The base commander agreed so Jeremy grabbed his bag and ran to the jeep to go to the airfield.
An hour later the search lights found two sparks nearly buried in the snow. The team landed and ran to the designated area and started to dig.
They dug until they hit the poncho. Using their hands they uncovered it and lifted it up. There was Denise holding Molly close, both were unconscious and hypothermic.
They were pulled from the pit and carried to the helicopter. They were both wrapped in thermal blankets as they were flown to the closest hospital.
Denise was strong and once warm she needed only rest and time, Molly was much more serious and no one heard a word about Frank.
Molly was set up in ICU to be monitored. Her arm was in a cast, her cuts and bruises had been tended as well.
When Denise began to come around she felt a warm strong hand holding hers and smiled, "Frank...Frank..."
Jeremy leaned down,"No mom its me Jeremy. I came to surprise you for Christmas."
"Jeremy...no..." she fussed. "No...my baby is gone." Then she opened her eyes. "Jeremy it's...you...how..."
"I came home to surprise you guys. Where's dad? I saw Molly, she's in the unit."
"I don't know, I couldn't walk anymore and he went to get help he's not here with you? I thought I saw him with you."
"He's not here mom. Just you and Molly." Denise's biggest fear was realized. Frank was missing and she probably would never see him again.
Denise started to cry, "Where is he Jeremy? Please find him I don't want you back just to have him gone, I want us all to be together, please..." She was getting too upset for someone suffering a trauma.
"They are still looking for him, try to calm down and rest. You and I will go see Molly in a bit."
"No, not in a bit, now, I need to see her now, please...please Jeremy..." He had to obey her, she was his mother.
He found a wheelchair and took her to ICU. Molly looked so tiny in the bed. She was under a warming blanket and they were infusing her with warm IV solutions. She was hooked to monitors and nasal oxygen.
Denise touched her baby's hand, it was still ice cold and her fingers clearly frostbitten. "Molly, it's Mommy. Please talk to me baby."
She kissed her cheek and ran her fingers through the child's wavy hair,"please baby open your eyes for me."
"Shes' so small Mom, isn't she three?" Denise nodded, "She's petite and she was very sickly as a baby she's better now." Molly flinched and started to whimper, "Daddy..."
"Hey baby girl,its mommy and Jeremy. Open your eyes baby."
Molly opened her little eyes and saw Denise then Jeremy, he was a stranger, she threw as much a fit as she could throw screaming Daddy with all her might.
Denise stroked her head,"It's okay Molly this is Jeremy your brother Daddy isn't here right now but soon."
Denise calm tone settled Molly for now, "Hurts Momma."
"I know how about I rub it to make it feel better?"
"Hold Mommy," Molly whispered. "Hold me, scared." Denise nodded and carefully moved her baby so she could hold her tiny body close. She held Jeremy's hand over her heart and silently prayed that soon all four of them would be one again.
As they were attempting to recover ,Frank was passed out in the snow from exposure and exhaustion.
An elder couple driving through the snow in the proper vehicle saw the dent and stopped to inquire. The man got out and was able to see Frank's boot through the snow. "Ellen, help me dig." Working as a team they got Frank out and into their truck. They headed for their house, they didn't believe in secular medicine.
They half carried,half dragged him into their house. They got him to the spare bedroom and started to undress him. He was so cold the elderly woman almost thought he was dead until she saw a faint rise to his chest.
They stripped him to the skin as saw the ravages of war and of exposure. His hands and feet were like ice cubes and nearly blue, they began slowly heating them in warm water.
The woman put cream on Frank's face where he had wind and exposure burns. It took several hours before his hands and feet started to warm up enough so they could also have cream applied. He was then covered with several quilts. The man stayed with him in case he woke up.
Even hour he was spoon fed warm tea and had new cream applied but he didn't seem to be getting any better.
He wouldn't wake up. It was like he just gave up.
Two days later he began wheezing hard and coughing. He had a fever and seemingly no strength to even rid his lungs of the fluid.
The old woman had her husband sit him up as she clapped on his back to help break up the congestion. They set up humidifiers in the room to help him breath. After another 4 days he started to slowly wake up.
"The first word he uttered was a very weak, "Denise." "No, it's Ellen, I'm Ellen and he's Roy."
Frank whispered "My wife,child lost in snow. Have to find them."
"Mister you were alone. Nobody was with you." Frank closed his eyes, his world just imploded.
"What's today?" he asked. "December 21," she replied. "You've been here four days. I"m sorry if you're wife and baby were out there they were buried too deep to save."
"My family can't be gone. I lost my son in the war. I can't lose my wife and baby girl." He turned his head and let the tears fall.
"They're home now with the Lord," Ellen soothed. "And will be with you in your heart forever."
"I want them in my arms. The lord took my boy. Why the rest of my family?"
Ellen smoothed his brow, "The Lord tries the character he knows is the strongest, he won't give you more than you can handle sweet boy." He reminded her of her own son.
"I can't live through this. I need my wife and baby." He started to cough and Ellen helped him sit up so he could cough up the congestion.
Two days later Denise was released from the hospital with Molly. Her heart was heavy,she had her two babies but he husband of twenty four years lay dead in the snow someplace. Her heart throbbed.
Jeremy got them a hotel suite until they heard news of Frank or were ready to travel home. The sheriff told him if they couldn't find his body now, they would in the spring when the snow melted.
"I want to go to Montana, Molly's gifts are there, it's not fair for her at three not to have Santa presents."
Jeremy hugged his mother "Mom I don't think she really cares. Look at her,she won't speak other than to call for dad."
"I know it but I'm hoping time with Michael and a new doll can try to save this for her, if not this year next year, the magic of this holiday...can be saved."
"Mom dad is missing,probably dead. She will always remember Christmas as the time dad ..." He couldn't finish his statement
"I know but she's just three, we can try to salvage this for her, Jeremy please don't fight me on this I need it as much as you do."
"Mom I don't want to leave yet."
"Please Jeremy, come with me to the Montana, then we'll come back and search until we can lay Dad to rest."
"When are you planning on leaving?"
"Fly into Billings tonight," she replied showing three tickets. "We'll get there in time for Christmas dinner."
Jeremy looked at her and nodded. He couldn't let her go alone with Molly.
Little did Denise know Frank had plans of his own, he had thanked Ellen and Roy for their kindness offered to pay then rented a four wheel truck and drove to the Holden's winter home
Denise and Jeremy with Molly arrived at the Holden's at 1600. Claudia Joy hugged her tight and then Jeremy. She looked at little Molly. The child looked like a broken spirit with no joy.
Michael came to pick her up and she let him, she didn't speak she just sat with him and colored but didn't speak. Denise sobbed in Claudia Joy's arms, "He's gone Frank is gone, I prayed for my baby back but not at this cost."
Jeremy looked up and saw Emmalin standing on the stairs. "I'm so sorry Jeremy."
He moved closer to her, she was so pretty, so much more than he remembered. She caught him in her arms just as he began to cry for his father, his hero, his best friend...
After about an hour of crying and softly spoken words, Claudia Joy suggested they all sit at the table for dinner.
They sat down to a table dressed with a ham and a turkey, all kinds of delicious food and wine. Denise took a bit of ham for Molly and a sweet potato. "Here baby you eat this for Momma."
Molly played with her food and hardly ate. Denise took her up to bed. As Denise lay next to her daughter, the child asked, "Can Daddy hear me in heaven?"
"He sure can baby girl," Denise whispered. "He can hear you princess and he still loves you very very much and he misses you very very much."
"I miss daddy. I want my daddy." She pouted and turned on her side with her thumb in her mouth.
"I know you do, I want Daddy too honey," Denise sighed. "Want Mommy to read you a storybook. I have a special one just for Christmas."
"No." A flat no. Denise knew Christmas would never be the same for her child again.
"How about I sing instead." She held her on her lap and softly sang one song then another until Molly fell asleep
Denise kissed her forehead and slid her under the covers."Sleep well baby,dream happy dreams."
Denise went down stairs to see mountains and mountains of presents "Oh Michael you didn't have to do this. She won't even be able to appreciate it."
"We can at least try, can't we?"
"Sure you can, thank you," Denise sighed. "Michael, can you see to it when we return home Frank gets a memorial with full ceremony?"
"That's the least I can do Denise. Let's have a drink ,the three of us. Jeremy and Emmalin went out."
She smiled, "I hope that works out, he's always been sweet on her." Claudia Joy nodded, "And she him. Scotch Denise?"
Later that night Denise huddled under the sheets,crying for Frank. All the Christmases they shared and all the ones they wouldn't.
Frank arrived in the Montana woods just as the sun came up over the snow covered horizon. It was only three hours until safety where he could grieve for his wife and daughter in the privacy and peace of a friends home.
Everyone was sitting at the table for breakfast when there was a knock.
Michael got up to answer the knock praying it was no the police bringing definite news of Frank's death. He got the surprise of his life.
He uttered Frank out loud as he opened the door. Denise stood staring at the doorway,where Michael had walked through.
"Hey sorry to break up your meal but I..." Then he heard it, "DADDY!" Little Molly was running at top speed to Frank.
He uttered "Molly" as she reached him. He picked her up, hugging her tight his eyes brimming with tears. He saw Denise through his tears as she ran to him.
"Frank!" Denise launched into his arms and held him. She saw how tired, drawn, and haggard he was. "What happened to you, we thought you lost you...oh God thank you. Thank you god."
Frank quickly explained as he was finishing he looked up at the stairs, his jaw dropped in shock.
"Dad! Dad!" Jeremy started to run toward Frank and in seconds the entire Sherwood family stood holding each other for the first time in almost four years. Claudia Joy looked and smiled, "Isn't i beautiful?" she asked Michael who shook his head as he wiped tears off his cheeks, "No, no...It's a miracle."