Dreams and Dolls

A little girl and a boy ran for their lives, carrying their single, strange doll with them as the girl looked behind and screamed at the one who was chasing them. Her brother pulled her hand and continue running away. A maniac cackle echoed down the hall with the sound of clicking bounced off the glass walls of the underwater city.

Then the children came to a stop and reached to a dead end with a large hole that filled with sea water and a huge debris blocked off the other hall.

They looked around for an another way out until the stranger came crashing down onto the floor.

They screamed in fear and fell on their backsides, dropping their doll in process. Then the little boy stood up and ran in front of his sister, trying to protect her. However the attacker seized his arm with a harsh grip, resulting a painful scream from the boy while the girl begged the man to let him go.

But this thing was not a man. It was a monstrous freak. He had meat hooks attached to his claws and had several toes. His clothes were filthy along with a party mask that looked like a bird. His breath smelled foul and he had rows of teeth which were yellowed and covered in blood.

"Shh. Shh. It's all over now kiddies." He tried to sooth them with a raspy voice before he could kill them without much struggle.

Unbeknownst to them, a large figure was emerging from the ocean filled hole and walked right behind the unsuspecting attacker. It was a large, metal diver.

"Let go! Let go of me!" The Boy cried as the The Girl tried to pry off the monster's scaly hand off her brother's.

The man smirked as he removed his mask and revealed to be a hideously deformed face. And raised his hook towards them.

"I won't hurt'cha." He said.

Until he felt the presence of a giant and just as he turned his head, a fist collided into his ugly head and sent him flying across the room, then crashed into a wall.

The children hugged each other in fear as the giant walked towards the freak with a yellow light glowing from his helmet.

The metal man raised his what it appeared to be a mining drill in his hand and started it's engines.

The deformed man looked up to see the giant and realised that it was going to finish him off. He cowered in fear but he was too injured to move with his broken body.

"Nononononono- AAAAHHHHHHH-!" And the man was silenced by the drilling with a sickening splat.

After it was killed, the diver pulled out of his drill and walked back to the children. His heavy breathing and a low moan had somewhat calmed the children then kneeled in front of them. He picked up their little doll, that was awfully similar to the giant and gave it to them. Then his porthole turned green and extended his arms towards them.

The children were happy that the danger was over and having their doll back. But the reason they're truly happy was that the behemoth of a man had saved them from harm. They ran towards him for a hug and the giant lifted him with a gentle whale-like moans. The twins giggled and looked up to him with glowing yellow eyes, just like him.

"Thank you, Daddy."

Darla woke up from her bed with a gasp and she franticly looked around. She finally settled down then reminded herself that she was in her bedroom. And realised that it was just a dream. Or rather more like a nightmare.

Her sudden movement had also caused Pierre to wake up as well. He felt groggy until he was aware that Darla had woken up. Concerned; he placed his shoulder which made his lover turning her head towards him.

There was sweat with a panic-stricken written all over her face. Pierre hugged her as Darla clung unto him and sobbed as if she had lost someone very dear. Which she did.

"Darla, mon petit. What is it?" Pierre spoke with a soft tone of his voice. He stroked her hair while his other hand made soothings circles on her back.

Darla sniffed and raised her head towards his level.

"I-it's nothing sugar. Ju-just a bad dream." She shakily answered.

"What of sorts, Darla?"

"I told ya, sweetie. Just a bad dream."

Pierre didn't believe every single word she said. But he couldn't press on, not when she was upset from her nightmare.

However, this had been going on far too long. Four years, exactly.

Her sons called Pierre and Billy that when she first had nightmares over and over but she never talked about it. Her physician had giving her sleeping pills, yet it didn't work. And her complaint to the doctors was that she had chest pains or more likely; her heart. She once had a seizure, than a heart attack a few times. Luckily it only lasted shortly but the pain was still here and there.

None of the doctors could make any sense out of this mysterious phantom illness, not even The BLU Scout's teammate Doctor Heinz Fredericksen could cure her. However the calm doctor suggested that they should try using his recent made contraption with the help of their Engineer: Dell Conagher to enter her mind and see her nightmares.

Pierre was disturbed by the fact they would go inside her head. But he considered the offer until they're sure, if it keeps on.

Until then he calmed her down and went back to sleep.

When a certain, annoying Scout barged into their room. Demanding to know what had happened.

Next Morning

"So you're accepting zhe offer, Herr Spy?"

"Oui. She would not tell me what happen' last night an' pretended that it never happen'."

"Zhen we will come to you but somewhere more private."

"But of course. Where?"

"One of zhe old warehouses of the docking near zhe beach, number C-12."

"And when?"

"Tomorrow at eight O'clock evening."

"Very well, but will it work?"

Medic gave a small chuckle and: "I have no idea."

The phone hung up leaving an agitated Spy. He sighed and pinched his eyes. But he had what he needed to do.

Now to convince Darla to corporate then help fixing her physical and mental condition.

Dallas, Texas

Conagher Residence

The twins giggled as they were playing Tea Party themselves along with their toys.

Suzy wore a nice pink frilly dress while Henry dressed up in his formal black suit when he wore it on his Dad's best friend's wedding day. They seated on their small chairs along with their three makeshift toys.

"More tea and ADAM Mr. Conagher?"

"Why, yes please Miss Conagher."

They giggled while Suzy pretended to pour the teapot filled with tea and ADAM.

There as a knock on the door and turned to see their father coming in.

"Pardon me, sir and ma'am. Hope ah'm not disturbin' yah tea party, am I?" He smiled at his children.

They stood up and hugged their real father with a giggle.

"No you didn't papa! We were just playing tea party, that's all." Suzy exclaimed.

"And you're invited too!" Henry piped up.

Dell laughed and gave them a big bear hug which made them squeal with joy, just as he always done before they went missing for a year. Now they've grown up so fast and they've past their father's round, pudgy belly and nearly his chest. It was surprising to be so tall for two nine year olds. And strangely, their accents had slightly changed after they were rescued, almost sounded like New York accent. Perhaps it had something to do with that woman: Sophia Lamb.

It made his teeth grind and narrowed his eyes when he found out who was responsible for taking away his sweet little angels. Especially the children all over the world. However the police informed that they did not know what happened to the children during their capture or where they were taken. Something was up.

"P-papa? You're scaring us. Are you angry?" Suzy whimpered.

Dell looked down and realised what he had just done. He hugged them tighter and replied with a soothing tone:

"Nah! Why would ah be?" He smiled again.

"Because you were growling like Mr. Bubbles whenever he was angry at someone." Henry replied.

Dell sighed then settled down his kids onto the ground, with Dell joining them. If only he'd knew who Mr. Bubbles was. Either it was a man or an animal. He'll never know.

"Ah'm not angry with ya two. Ah was angry at the lady who took ya away. Which made me and yer mother worried sick."

The children understood and they were still upset the fact that their mother died after their disappearance.

"Momma became an angel because she was sick... Right?"

"That's right Suzy. We looked everywhere for ya two. The town, city- heck even the beach we went altogether where ya were gone. An' you're poor momma didn't stop searchin' for the both of ya." He added.

A small tear came out from the corner of his eye and he hadn't realised it until now. Henry saw it and wiped his tear with his sleeve.

"Don't cry papa. We're home now. It was daddy, mommy and big sister who saved us all." Henry smiled.

Dell smiled back. They were grown so fast. His son took the spitting image of himself while his daughter looked so much like his beautiful wife. If only Annabelle was here to see them alive and well. They were headstrong, stubborn, kind and smart just like themselves.

He looked at their miniature table and noticed the strange dolls place on their chairs: three metal diving suit dolls. One was the largest of three with a very big head and six holes on it's helmet. And a makeshift drill on it's arm.

The second was crafted with baseball for a head and a corkscrew on the end of it's arm just like the first one except it was a watch for the face of it's helmet.

Lastly was a thin rag-doll like with pointed needles on the each of it's arms and the body had armour with the colour of green. It reminded him of the that night's event when his kids were taken away by the mysterious diver.

He pondered of it and asked:

"So who're you're guests kids?"

Suzy had beaten to it before her twin:

"That's Mr. Bubbles, Daddy and Mommy."

"No Suzy! That's Big Sis."

"Well, Mommy is green and the doll too so there."

"Big Sister!"

"Mommy!"

"Woah there kids. I think that's enough. Besides, were gonna visit your uncles tommorow. So ya best get yerselves ready for bedtime."

They stopped bickering and jumped up from the ground with a cheer.

"Yay! We're gonna 'em all?"

"Yep. Now hop to it both of ya. Dinner's almost ready an' i want yer hands washed righ' now."

"Yes, Papa!" They obeyed. Then they dashed out of their bedroom.

Dell chuckled at their hyper energy. He would never forget the day he had a call from the CIA that his kids were finally found. He cried and sobbed with joy after a year he had prayed to lord almighty. But without his wife he felt devastated about bringing the news to them. But he knew above the heaven clouds she was watching over them.

Yet something was mingling at the back of his mind. Things had changed since their return.

A lot of things.

First it was their accent.

Second was their clothing:. Suzy hated dresses and Henry despised formal ones. At one time they went to Jane and Zahanna's wedding day, they kept tugging their clothes until Suzy slipped and crashed right into the cake and splattered everyone. Much to the guest's chagrin. But strangely enough, The wedded couple found it funny and ended up an enjoyable food fight. Yet... Now they're wearing it for tea parties.

Then came the bitter truth about their mother. But he had not expected them to be so silent and... Acknowledged? They cried for a while but they had somehow collected themselves after the funeral.

And finally their was closeness. Not in a bad way. It had all happened five years ago when Suzy screamed for her brother, something about monsters killing Mister Bubbles and coming to get her. Henry ran right at her and never left by her side. Whenever a stranger or his co-workers from his company would come near them, Henry would growl at them and Suzy cowering behind him for protection. Heck, last week Henry broke the bully's nose Kelly McCahann who was a girl yet he saw her as a threat when Kelly pushed Suzy which triggered his protection instinct.

It seemed that the kidnapping had affected them psychologically.

And both CIA and Interpol were hiding something.

And he will darn intended to find out.

TBC