Here's chapter 3.  In the last chapter I forgot to note the song I used.  It was  "Not a day goes by" by Lonestar.

            Thanks to Alex for beta reading'.  Reviews are always welcome ^_^

The kids had been playing a board game with Trish when the phone rang.

            "I'll get it," Frank said as he walked into the kitchen. "Hello."

            "Frank?" Mac said not trusting her own voice.

            "Mac? What's wrong?"  He could tell by her voice that she was on the verge of tears.

            "Harm," was the only thing she could say before she was wracked with tears.

            "Sarah what happened?"

            "He's gone MIA," Mac said between sobs.

            Frank's face fell.  He was worried about Mac.  She was all by herself out there.  She didn't even have her kids with her.

            "The Admiral just called.  They said he was under attack when his plane went down in the dessert.  That was hours ago.  They lost communication as the plane was going down.  They said that he ejected but other than that they don't know anything."

            "What's wrong?" Trish asked as she walked into the kitchen.  She'd heard that Frank was on the phone with Mac but couldn't make out the conversation.

            Frank turned to face his wife but didn't know what to tell her.

            "Is Trish there?" Mac asked.

            "Yea she's right here."

            "Let me speak to her."

            Frank handed his wife the phone.

            "Trish," Mac said.

            "Sarah honey what's wrong?" Trish asked concerned.

            "It's Harm.  His plane went down.  He's gone MIA."

            Trish collapsed into one of the kitchen chairs.  Tears streamed down her face.  When was her family going to get a break?  How many near misses had she already gone through with Harm?  How many times had it looked like he wouldn't make it?

            Both women sobbed together on the phone.

            Trish prayed that this time wouldn't be the last.  Harm had too many people who and cared for him.  And another one on the way.

            "What's going on?" Landon asked as he walked into the kitchen.  He'd seen both of his grandparents leave the room and neither of them had returned.  He'd also thought he heard his grandfather talking on the phone with his mother.  Instantly he knew what was wrong.  Before Harm had left for the trip Landon had told his father that he was getting this uneasy feeling.  Ever since he was little he got these feelings whenever he felt something bad was going to happen.  Harm had told his son not to worry and that by the time he came back from his grandparents he'd be home as well.

            "No! It can't be," was all the little boy could say as he ran out of the room tears running down his face.

            "Landon wait," Frank called after him.

            Annabelle saw her brother crying. 

"Landon what's wrong?" At first the little boy was too distraught to answer.   Annabelle went over to the couch and sat down next to her brother.

            "What happened?"

            "It's dad," was all the little boy could say.

            Immediately all the children feared the worst.

            "Landon," Frank said as he found him sitting on the couch crying.  He could tell by the looks on the other children's faces that they knew something was wrong too.

            "Landon. You're right.  It is your dad," Frank said trying to get the boy to look at him.  "His plane went down in the dessert.  He's gone MIA."  Annabelle and Haley were now crying.  Frank could tell that the twins were trying to be strong for everyone else.  Holding back their tears.

He called her on the road
From a lonely cold hotel room
Just to hear her say
I love you one more time
And when he heard the sound
Of the kids laughing
In the background
He had to wipe away
A tear from his eye
A little voice came
On the phone
And said
"Daddy when you coming home"

            "We were supposed to go flying," Landon said in a shaky voice.  For the past couple of months Harm had been giving Landon flying lessons in "Sarah" his Stearman.  This weekend was going to be the first time Landon flew the plane without any coaching from his dad.

            Harmon and Robert were trying to be strong for their brothers and sisters.  The fought hard to control the tears that were threatening to fall.  The boys had just gotten their acceptance letters to Annapolis.  Robert wanted to eventually join the JAG corps as a lawyer and Harmon was interested in becoming a Seal just like his Uncle AJ had been.  Their father had been so proud of them they day they found out they had gotten in.  They were carrying on a Rabb tradition.

            Annabelle was sitting crying trying to comfort her younger brother.  She remembered the last thing she had done with her dad before he'd gone away.  They'd gone shopping for a dress for the junior prom.  Although she was only a sophomore her boyfriend Mike was a junior.  She remembered when she'd been talking to her mom about having to get a dress and Harm had offered to take her shopping.  Annabelle knew her dad hated shopping, she suspected the only reason he wanted to go was to look after his "little princess" as he called her.  She was sixteen but he still saw her as the three-year-old little girl he used to read bedtime stories to.  While at they mall they went from store to store searching for the perfect dress.  She laughed as she thought of how her dad had given her his opinion about each dress.

            "Are you sure you like that one?" Harm had said looking at the backless gown.

            "What about this one?"  Every dress she tried on was either "too low cut," "had no back," or was just no good.  By the end of the day Annabelle decided she might as well just wear her pajamas to the prom.  Then they had stopped in one last store before they left.  And that's were she found the perfect dress.  It was a gold color.  It was strapless and the back had flared out into a small train.  It looked like something Belle would have worn in Beauty and the Beast.  When she tried it on she could tell that he approved.  She loved the dress but she also knew that it was expensive.  Harm had told her that it didn't matter.  His princess was going to be the prettiest one at the Prom.

Take a look around
I'm the sunshine in your hair
I'm the shadow on the ground
I'm the whisper in the wind
I'm your imaginary friend
And I know I'm in your prayers

            Haley sat on the floor next to her twin brothers.  They had tried to comfort her before but she had brushed them away.  She knew they were just trying to make her feel better but that wouldn't bring her father back.  When she was younger all the kids at school had made fun of her.  They had called her a tomboy.  She loved sports and excelled in them.  She tried out for the little league team and was the only girl.  She was also the only girl on the ice hockey team.  While her peers had ridiculed her, her father always stood up for her.  He was out everyday in their backyard practicing with her.  He'd even helped her construct a makeshift baseball diamond in the backyard.  They had tickets to go to the Orioles season opener next week.

"Daddy when you coming home"
He said the first thing
That came to his mind
I'm already there
Take a look around
I'm the sunshine in your hair
I'm the shadow on the ground
I'm the whisper in the wind
I'm your imaginary friend
And I know I'm in your prayers
Oh I'm already there

A/N:  The song used in this chapter is "I'm Already There," by Lonestar.  Next chapter will include what happened to Harm and Skates as they wandered through the dessert looking for a way home.