Chapter 4 Calling Dad

A week later:

Alex sat in the living room and watched camels that were passing the window. And in the background he could see the contours of a few pyramids. It was warm and sunny but around midday it was way too hot to be outside. His mother laid on the couch and read a book while Sarah was sitting on the floor, playing with her beloved dolls. He smiled slightly when the smell of pancakes reached his nose; Aunt Kate was great; she tried her best to distract them, to make them happy. She wanted them to feel at home.

But it didn't really work. Alex loved Egypt, God he really loved it and he loved visiting Aunt Kate here in Cairo but not this time. Everything seemed boring and uninteresting, Rick was missing; it wasn't the same anymore.

He sighed and his eyes traveled back to the phone like so often in these past days. He hankered after his father although not more than 7 days had passed since their hand over head escape. He wanted to see him, to hear him; he missed his low and scratchy voice as much as his deep and loving brown eyes. But he knew that his mother didn't intend to return home, not in near future. She pattered something of forbearing and he didn't like it because he realized that she needed much more time for that than he'd assumed.

That it was almost unbearable for him to be without his father didn't seem to be something she was really interested in. It almost drove him insane that she acted like Rick wouldn't exist, as he'd never been there before. It made him sad and angry. Well, okay his father had made a few mistakes lately but it wasn't his fault. It was the Baby's fault.

And now? He and Sarah were sitting around, their mother taught them and sometimes they wandered around in Cairo but even Evy, who loved Egypt more than anything else, couldn't enjoy it like usually. A part of her was missing but that she didn't want to admit. Alex sighed and this time his mother looked up.

"Hey Honey. what's the matter?" She asked and smiled slightly.

Alex turned around. „I want to see Dad.."he started but then he saw that her face hardened. „Or at least let me call him, I need to hear his voice", he quickly added.

Sarah looked up as well hearing that and she hastily nodded. "Yeah! Please Mommy", she said and her eyes shone by the thought of hearing her father's voice.

But Evy shook her head. "I already explained it to you. We're breaking the contact for a few weeks and then we'll see. That means to visits, no calling, all right? Try not to think about him", she answered.

Mentally she laughed hardly. Forgetting Rick, how was that possible? It was nonsense and she knew that. The children would never stop thinking about their father and neither would she, they just weren't able to. She thought about him every minute, with every breath she took. It made her angry and despaired. How was she able to forbear while she saw him in front of her inner eyes, every damn second. She realized that that what she asked of her children was cruel and inhumanly but she just couldn't think of a way to do better. She didn't know what to do to make it better.

Alex stared at her angrily. "Try not to think about him? How do you think is this going to work Mom? Maybe you don't want to see him, maybe you think that having no contact to him will help but I don't want it and I don't think it's right. I want to see him or at least talk to him. To make sure, he's all right. We wouldn't even know if he's hurt or something in case that something happens. What happens if something happens to him"?

She sighed. "He's alright. I'm pretty sure of that. Your father can take care of himself and there's still Jonathan who would know how to contact us in case of a emergency but nothing will happen, so stop worrying", she replied and ignored the fact that she hadn't answered his request to call Rick.

"But Mommy..how can he be all right with us gone? He's missing us, isn't he"? Sarah said and looked at both of them in confusion. This was all too confusing; she didn't understand any of this.

"Well, maybe Sarah. But maybe he already forgot us, just like Mom forgot him. And maybe he's happy that we're gone", yelled Alex despaired. Evy jumped up and grabbed his arm, tears welling up in her eyes as well.

"That's not true Alex and you know that. I didn't forget him and he did neither. Of course he isn't happy that we're gone, he's missing you of that I'm sure. So stop saying such things Alex right now, especially in front of your sister", she yelled half angry half sad and ran out of the room.

Sarah watched her mother leave and her confusion grew even more. Then she turned around and looked her brother who stood there, his fist balled and his face flushed. "He do miss us, doesn't he Alex?" She knew that her mother had already said that but it would comfort her more to hear it from Alex. Her mother acted strange and it kinda scared her and right now everything that Alex said made more sense to her.

Alex looked at her and then at the phone. "Let's find that out".

At their mansion:

Rick stood humming in the kitchen and tried to create something that was at least a little eatable for him. Today had been his sixth session with Doctor Booger... and he felt good. Many months had passed since the last time he'd felt that way. Together with his shrimp, as he called him, he talked about the past year, his alcoholism and about the death of the baby. And even if he felt it hard to admit, it was good for him.

The past two days he'd tried to find a new job even if they had enough money for three families. But he longed for the change, for mental or physical effort. And when he closed his eyes he remembered the time when he'd been irresponsible and free, when he had used to solve all his problems with a few bullets and a gun. Before he had met Envy and before he had realized that life was precious, before he had known that he would get two children, which he would love so much that he would die for them.

A part of him missed the old Rick but he knew that this wild boy was still inside of him and he also knew that Envy and his children wanted him back as well. But that was the past and this was the present and right now it seemed almost impossible to be the wild and gusty O'Connell and a responsible and caring father at the same time.

H sighed and looked outside. In front of the house was standing their brand-new family car, which he had bought the day before. Doctor Booger had told him to solve the old car, which had so many bad memories hanging on him.

Yeah.. he was well.. better. Of course he missed his kids and Evy terribly and often he caught himself, staring at their photos but he knew that it had been good to do all this alone. It was his fault that he was in this shit and he would get out of it himself. He knew that it was a long way until he would have complete control over his alcoholism and he knew that his feelings of guilt wouldn't disappear just like that. But he also knew that now he was prepared to meet his family again, to look them into the eyes. Now he wasn't able to do anything besides waiting.

He smiles slightly and sighed deeply when the phone rang. He took the receiver; automatically assuming it would be his shrimp. "Hey Doctor Booger", he said cheerful.

But it remained quiet but he heard a slight nervous breathing. „Hello? Who is that"?

„Dad"? His eyes almost popped out of his head when he recognized the voice. His heart started to beat madly ion his chest.

„Alex? Is that you son? How are you, how are Sarah and your mother. Where are you"? He let out a nervous but happy laughter. Finally a message.

„We're fine.. what about you?"Rick sensed his son being nervous and sighed deeply. „I'm alright kid. Do you want me to tell you what I've done while you were gone"?

„I guess you had fun without us", Alex replied sad.

Rick quickly shook his head. „No, no Alex don't get this wrong. I miss you terrible, god I miss you so much. And I want nothing more than having you back at home", he said softly.

„I miss you too Dad. But Mom doesn't want us to see you; she doesn't want us to call you neither. But Sarah and me called you nevertheless. We needed to hear your voice.. because.. because we want to have you back Dad", he said quietly.

Rick smiled slightly. They really missed him. Maybe, maybe they didn't hate him that much. Maybe they would be able to forgive him. „Alex? Listen to me for a few seconds alright?"

„Okay", his son replied.

„Alex.. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that I can't even describe it. I just wish you'll be able to forgive me some day", he said. Some day, some day... seemed so far away. But what he'd done wasn't that easy to repair, it needed time.

But Alex didn't think so. „What are you apologizing for Dad"?

„You know what I mean. I was a bad father, I was drunk, I was fighting with your Mom and I made her sad, I didn't listen to you, I didn't joke with you anymore, I stopped coming to your lectures at school, I didn't tell you how much I love you, I didn't tell you that I'm proud of you. I missed you much and most of all I'm sorry that I lost control over me. Bad things happened but they happened to Evy as well and she never.. she never lost control. She was all that I needed to be", he said.

He heard his son sniffing quietly. „Dad? It's going to be okay, isn't it? It doesn't matters to me what happened. But please love Mommy again, make her happy again. Make that we can see you. I.. I just want to let you know that I'm not mad at you. I know it was the baby's fault... and I just want.. I just want you back. My old Dad, the one who laughed with me, the one who saved my neck in Amshere, the one who loved to have adventures? Do you think you can be that Dad again, please tell me that you are this Dad again", he replied and he cried a little while saying that.

Rick whipped away his tears as well and nodded. „God, Alex I love you and I promise you that I will be that Dad again. But you have to know that it wont happen that fast, it needs time. Wounds need time to heal. But I have someone who can help me and you're going to have everything that you had and that you want. That I swear to you, alright my son"?

He waited and while Alex thought over what he'd said. „Dad? Will you come to talk to Mom? I want to go back home but she wont let us without knowing that you changed."

„I'll talk to your mother, alright kiddo? Get her to the phone and I'll try to explain and together we're going to find a solution. Don't worry, I know your Mom and she's going to do what is best for herself and for you two", he replied and sighed deeply. Even if that meant that she would stay wherever she was right now. He wasn't going top press her into anything. If she said she wanted to keep away a little longer he wouldn't say anything against it. It was now her decision and he new that, it was up to her what would happen.

A few seconds later, he heard her voice and before she could say anything he interrupted her. "Evy.. honey is that you? Listen to me.. just for a few minutes and don't say anything before I'm finished. Just listen to wait I need to say and then you will decide what will happen next top our family", he started and she agreed without any hesitation.

And then he began to tell her about Doctor Booger and Benjamin Duncan and everything that he had realized and while telling her that.. he even felt a little bit proud of himself.

A/N: Okay, I really hope you like that. Please continue reviewing because I have no idea what you think about my fic and it's hard to keep writing without knowing that. And tell me what you think could happen next; I love getting a little inspiration. Thanks!