Chapter 10

When you can't go home home comes to you

"Mama, when are daddy and Nell coming home?" Raven asked looking up at her mother.

"I don't know sweety, it might be a while" Liz said tucking Raven in as she looked at Raven's sad face.

"I want daddy to be home now" Raven whimpered tears welling up in her golden yellow eyes.

"I want daddy home now too!" Lily wailed from where she stood in the doorway tears rolling down her cheeks

"Come here Lily, it's gonna be ok" Liz said letting Lily run into her arms. "Come here Raven"

Raven scooted over to make room for Liz to sit.

"Liz, Manning wants all able bodied agents to gear up we're going to Africa, they need back up to help hunt this thing down, and Manning wants you to go" Clay said sticking his head into the room.

"No! No! No!" Raven wailed as Lily began crying even harder "Mama can't go!"

"Mama, don't go! Please don't leave too mama!" Lily cried into Liz's lap.

"Clay I can't" Liz said "I can't leave Lily and Raven."

"You don't have to, I got the ok from Manning, they're going too, so get ready, we leave in an hour" Clay said

"Oh I put your Christmas presents for Red and the girls in the cargo area already."

"Thanks Clay" Liz said as Clay left "Hear that looks like we get to have Christmas with daddy and Nell After all!"

"Uncle John?" Eleanor whispered "Uncle John?"

John didn't wake, so Eleanor did what she generally did to make someone wake up. Ever so carefully Eleanor pulled the blanket away from John's foot and gingerly poked the middle of his foot, when he still didn't wake up she gave his foot a quick jab.

"Wha-!" John sputtered jolting awake "Nell?"

"Sshhh!" Eleanor whispered "You promised you'd help me with my presents for daddy and Alex. Remember?"

"I remember Nell" John said getting up.

"There!" Eleanor said as the last ribbon was in its place "Can you keep them uncle John I don't want daddy or Alex peeking"

"Sure, I know just the place to hide them" John said as Hellboy came up behind Eleanor and scooped her up into hug

"Morning daddy!" Eleanor giggled putting a tiny kiss on her large father's chin.

"Morning little frog" Hellboy answered kissing her back before giving her a playful toss in the air and catching her again and being rewarded by the sounds of Eleanor's squeals of delight.

"Hey Red we got more agents on their way here they should be here in an hour or two" John said coming back out of his hut.

"Nah. I think you're off by an hour our two, they're here." Hellboy said as Eleanor wiggled out of his arms and onto his shoulders

"Neat!" Eleanor cried as the plane touched down on a stretch of bare land, before she toppled over into her fathers arms.

"Careful Nell" Hellboy said setting her down as he watched the agents get off the plane.

"DADDY!" Lily cried running down the loading ramp.

"DADDY!" Raven shouted running down the ramp in hot pursuit of Lily and nearly toppling over doing so.

"MAMA!" Eleanor screamed running to the slender dark haired woman that was her mother. "Mama! I missed you so much, guess what, I got to see a real tree frog!"

"Really? I bet that was really neat." Liz said picking the little girl up and walking towards the camp, Hellboy meeting her half way with Lily and Raven in his arms.

"I have all my best girls with me" Hellboy said putting Lily and Raven down as Liz set Eleanor down.

"We missed you Nelly!" Raven said hugging Eleanor

Make the dragon happy toss a t/bone steakinto the den (A-1 sauce optional but highly recomended!)