Later that day, Frank walked into the small room that Cody set up as an office for Elaina. It was the same room Frank used when he took command.
"Well, looks comfy in here. Hope you like it." Frank smiled. "Ready to go home?"
"It will do for now. I'll be done in a few minutes. Call Derek see if he remembered to pick up Sarah for us."
"I already did. He picked her up before noon."
"Why so early? He wasn't supposed to pick her up until three?" Elaina wondered.
"Your daughter threw a tantrum and Mrs. Bertinotti couldn't take her screaming, constantly."
"Why did she call Derek and not us?"
"Seems in the maylay, Sarah spilled milk on the phone numbers we gave her and Derek's was the only one she could still read," Frank explained.
"Did you ask him what he did to calm her down?" Elaina wondered.
"Yeah, she was wanting her horsy, so Derek took her out to pet him."
"He shouldn't have done that. Now she knows, if she screams she'll get her way." Elaina was a little upset.
"And you would've handled it different?" Frank scoffed.
"I would have, but by that question, you would've done the same as Derek?"
"Probably, how would you have done it?" Frank asked, sitting on her desk.
"I would've took her to her room put her in there and told her she'd see White Sand when she stopped screaming and behaved herself," Elaina told him.
"Like she would've understood that." Frank doubted.
"She did the other day when she pulled the same thing with me." Elaina closed the file she was working on.
"So this wasn't the first time that she's done it?"
"Nope and it won't be the last." Elaina picked up her things to leave. "Let's go see our kids. I plan on talking to Sarah."
"She's only 2, don't expect much, Lady." Frank walked with her downstairs and saw that Cody and Sab were still there. "You two go home. You don't have to be at the bar until 2, so go try to get some sleep."
"We'll go in a few minutes," Sab answered.
"Now! What you are doing can wait until later," Elaina told them.
"We're working on a new program for the system," Cody said but saw that Elaina meant it as an order. "I'll finish this some other time," Cody said, shutting down the computer.
"Remember, you don't need to be back here until 6 tomorrow night. You can sleep as late as you want," Frank said to them as they started to leave.
"Good night, Boss, Agent Blakely," Sab said as she left with Cody.
"I guess I deserved that cold shoulder," Elaina said as she and Frank walked out.
"You thought she was angry at you for the nightmares. I think that, was Sab when she's angry."
"She's not angry with me, just a little ticked maybe for me yelling at her earlier."
"I told you, if you didn't ease up you'd have a mutiny on your hands. It may happen sooner than you think," Frank said, walking to the car.
"Tell me one thing I said that was wrong today." Elaina stopped walking.
"I'm not getting in to an argument with you about it. If you can't see it for yourself, I'm not telling you."
"You're not telling me because I didn't say or do anything wrong."
"When am I getting my new car?" Frank said getting in and changing the subject.
"In a day or two. I thought you liked driving to work with me?" Elaina asked, getting in the passenger side.
"I do but I really want my own car again."
"You'll get one, I promise."
They drove home not talking much. Elaina closed her eyes and listened to the music playing. She relaxed and thought about what Frank told her about the mutiny. When they arrived home they walked in the house but didn't see or hear the kids anywhere.
"Derek, Sarah, where are you?" Frank yelled but didn't get an answer.
"Hopefully, they aren't asleep." Elaina walked to the office to set her briefcase down. She looked out of the window to see the kids out with the horses.
"I guess they're outside," Frank said entering the office, too.
"Yeah, they are. Out with the horses, again." Elaina walked past Frank.
"Where are you going?" Frank had to run to catch up to her.
"To talk to them," she said, going out the back door.
"Don't argue with them, actually talk to them," Frank warned as they walked out.
"Derek, why is she out here again or is it yet?" Elaina asked in a touch of anger.
"I had to bring her out here, so I could feed the horses. I didn't want to leave her in the house alone," Derek explained.
"I don't want you to give into her tantrums anymore. I never gave in to yours. We aren't going to treat her any different." Elaina picked up Sarah. "Come with me, Little One. We need to talk," Elaina said in a stern voice.
Sarah began to protest. "Want my horsy. Down now, pease."
"No! You're going in with Momma." Elaina started walking to the house and Sarah screamed. "Stop that, young lady." Elaina put her hand over Sarah's mouth.
"Why do I have the feeling Sarah may get spanked?" Derek said watching them go to the house.
"She better not do that," Frank said angry at the thought.
"She used to spank me, sometimes," Derek told him.
"I told her never to spank any of our children, when we got together. I don't believe in it."
"You may not believe in it but I've heard you threaten to do it," Derek remembered.
"Threatening is one thing, to actually do it is another," Frank told him.
"She never did spank me in front of you but I was spanked once after you came aboard. Derek told him as they walked to the house.
"What?! Frank stopped walking.
"I admit I deserved it. I was mad and I cussed her out one day, throwing one of my many tantrums when I was 10. Mom grabbed me turned me over her knees whacked me hard. She has a very strong hand." Derek told him.
"I better get in there. She's been in a bad mood all day. I don't want her to be that way around Sarah." Frank went in the house. "Ladies, where are you?"
"In the living room," Elaina answered.
Frank walked in to see Sarah crying on the couch and Elaina reading the mail. "You didn't spank her, did you?"
"No! Why would you think that? I told her to sit there and cry all she wanted."
"She'll make herself sick doing that." Frank started over to Sarah. Elaina grabbed him. "Don't pick her up. She'll quite down soon."
"I can't stand to see her like that," Frank said looking at her.
"She has to start learning she can't have her way constantly. You told me that a while ago."
"I don't want her spanked, ever," Frank demanded.
"I haven't spanked either of our children in a long time," Elaina countered.
"Derek told me you did, after I told you not to. Why should I believe you now?" Frank asked her.
"I was not going to be called those names by him, he deserved that spanking," Elaina explained. "Besides, if I remember right, you laughed when I told you about Mom spanking Maria."
"There's a big as difference, too. Maria was a teenager and knew why it was being done. Sarah wouldn't."
"How could you even think, I'd spank her? I'm not insane. I'd never do that to her."
"You've been hot headed all day, I don't want it to spill into our home." Frank noticed that Sarah was quieting down.
"It won't, unless you keep on this subject." Elaina noticed too and lowered her voice seeing that Sarah was watching them.
"I see she has finally all cried out. I'm going over to her whether you like it or not."
"Not just yet." Elaina took his hand. "Let's show her we aren't mad at each other." Elaina kissed him.
"I thought we were mad at each other?" Frank asked returning the kiss.
"Not mad, just disagreeable," Elaina told him. "Now we'll go over to her."
"Momma!" Sarah walked on the couch to her. "Mad at me?"
"No, I'm not mad at you, I love you very much. I want to talk to you for a minute." Elaina hugged and kissed her.
"Why?" Sarah asked.
"You can't be with your horsy all the time. Momma and Daddy will take you to see him, before we leave and when we come home at night. You can't cry anymore to see him," Elaina said and signed.
"Why?" Sarah asked again.
"Sarah, I just told you why. Momma, will make sure you see him as often as she can."
"No!" Sarah said, defiantly.
"Excuse me. I think yes, or you won't see him at all," Elaina said a little harshly.
"Daddy! Momma mad at me." Sarah reached for Frank.
Elaina sighed and let her go to Frank. "Momma isn't mad at you, Princess. She just wants you to learn something."
"Why?"
"Her favorite word. You can explain it to her. I'll go fix dinner." Elaina left them to be alone.