Chapter. 22
Daniel paused outside the house, the moment he'd been dreading since getting the kids had come, deployment, one week training in the Arizona dessert then home for two weeks, then 6 months, doing dessert combat operation in Sinai. He knew Barbara was expecting it, he'd been home for 8 months the longest ever in their relationship and while they had told the kids he would be going away it was different now it was time.
He opened the door, catching his daughter,
"Captain" she called flying into his arms,
"Hello Zona"
"I got an A on spelling" she told him proudly,
"Wow, good job sport, how about you Timmy, you had a maths test today?"
"B+ Sir" Timmy told him,
"Wow, amazing, Barb we have 2 smart kids, good job I brought a treat home" he said showing them the cake he had brought. Barbara raised an eyebrow he nodded at her unspoken question.
They sat in the kitchen, homework done, dinner eaten, cake served.
"So, you know what my job is?" Daniel started, both children nodded,
"Saves people from baddies!" Zona said, after all Captain and his men had saved them from daddy.
"That's right" Daniel praised, "Well some of the baddies live far away, so to protect you and our country I have to go and fight them, but it means I have to go away for a bit," he explained.
"What happens to us?" Timmy asked uncertainly, if the Captain was leaving who would look after them.
"You stay here, help look after mommy" Daniel said, "I need you both to be good helpers while I'm gone,"
"I can help mommy" Zona offered, Timmy nodded,
"How long will you be gone for?" Timmy asked,
"Well, I have one week then 6-month deployments" Daniel said, "I know it's a long time but it's important."
"I understand" Timmy said, after all every night Daniel had told him a story about military bravery, he knew all about the Nazi's, the Vietcong, the Commies and he knew from personal experience, there were bad people waiting to hurt them.
"What about horses?" Zona asked sadly, every morning she got up and skated to see the horses with Daniel before school.
"Well sport, Mommy has agreed to take you before school, you won't be able to skate there, but you can skate around the garden instead" Daniel offered.
"What if the baddies win, what if you get hurt?" Timmy questioned, after all daddy had been nice at one point until Mommy had been hurt,
"It could happen, lots of people do get hurt fighting for their country, but I promise I will do everything I can to make it home. If I don't Barbara will always look after you and so will every serving man and woman in this country. We are a family, an extended family, each member of the military takes care of the others. I promise you will never be alone again" Daniel finished. He waited for any other questions, both children sat quietly, both thinking and worrying. Daniel knew most of the questions would come with time, in true military style they'd been given 10 days' notice.
Putting the kids to bed that night was difficult, question after question came all similar, how long was he going to be gone? What if the baddies hurt him? Where would he be?
With both children asleep in their own beds for now, although with Zona how long it would be before she would be snuggled with Timmy.
Downstairs, Barbara was sat with a glass of wine, a beer out for Daniel ready. "6 months, this has to do with the problems in the middle east?"
Daniel nodded,
"And if this goes well a promotion?"
Again, Daniel nodded, he was due for promotion in 4 months, a successful leadership on deployment would mean he was likely to make Major.
"And promotion comes with a move?" Barbara asked, again Daniel nodded, she had been his wife long enough to know how it worked.
"I love you" Daniel said, Barbara smiled,
"I love you too," she leant forwards kissing him, taking his hand leading him upstairs. After all if she only had her husband home for 10 more days.
A knock at the door interrupted their farewell, Barbara groaned pulling on her nightie she went to their bedroom door. Zona stood their tears running down her face.
"Did Captain die?" she asked holding doggie and her unicorn.
"No sweetie, he is right here" Barbara opened the door wider, Daniel had pulled his boxers on and was lying in the bed. "Did you have a bad dream?" she asked, Zona nodded.
"Captain died, the baddies got him" she explained, not taking her eyes off Daniel. He sighed, patting the bed,
"Do you want to sleep with us tonight?" he asked, Zona nodded sniffling climbing in between Barbara and Daniel going to sleep, she felt safe with her parents next to her keeping the bad dreams away. It was about 30 minutes later the door opened again, Timmy peaked in, he'd got worried when Zona hadn't joined him, he stood uncertainly at the door watching Zona cuddle with Barbara and Daniel desperately wanting to join in. Barbara felt someone watching,
"Come Timmy" she invited patting the bed next to her. Timmy crawled in the bed too going to sleep. Barbara lay Zona's elbow in her rib cage, Timmy's knee pressing into her hip, Daniels arm under her back. Still, she had never felt happier, she was home with her kids, even if Daniel was deploying soon he'd be back. He always came home.
10 days passed quickly, the children ended up spending every night curled up in the bed with Barbara and Daniel. Zona waking up crying about Daniel dying and the bugs eating him, about being left alone again. She'd knock quietly and if nobody answered she'd sneak in ducking beneath the covers to check Daniel was alive for herself, Timmy would then follow a few minutes later.
Today was deployment day, despite it only being for a week the whole base turned out watching as they loaded up into combat vehicles, driving out of base.
"When he going to be back?" Zona asked as soon as the vehicles were out of sight.
"In a week" Barbara said, hugging her daughter,
"But I miss him now" Zona pouted,
"I know sweetie, I miss him too, but we have to be brave," Barbara counselled, "Plus we have a play date with Nick and Emily, today so we must go" She'd arranged with Stacy to go over both sets of children needing their attention diverted away from their dads leaving, a play date would do that. They'd decided as a special treat to go to the local soft play area with a burger restaurant attached. Arriving Nick took charge, sensing Timmy and Zona had no idea how to play.
"Let's do the slide" he suggested, Emily going off to play with some friends from school. Playing with your brother and his younger friends really wasn't cool. After going down the slide several times, they spent time jumping into the foam pits. Before Barbara called them over to eat. She'd taken the liberty of ordering, for Zona pizza, for Timmy a burger. After they'd eaten they went back to playing, before returning home. Barbara put them to bed, sitting in her own reading for a bit, it wasn't long before the door knocked
"Come in Zona" she ordered, a small face appeared,
"I had a bad dream" she said, "Captain died"
"Oh hun come here" Barbara invited, "he'll be okay," she reassured praying she was right, "We just have to wait for him to come home"
"But what if he dies" Zona insisted, "and the bugs eat him"
"He won't" Barbara reassured
"What if daddy comes back?"
"He won't, he has gone to prison for a long time"
"As long as Captain is away?"
"Much longer, you'll be my age when he gets out"
"That's really old" Zona remarked, Barbara smiled, she was sure when she was 6 years old, she thought that 28 was really old too.
"Now sleep monkey" she ordered, as the door opened, "come on Timmy climb in" she invited, pulling back the cover. Watching both children go straight to sleep making a note to speak to Edna about Zona's nightmares and clinginess and Timmy's incessant need to constantly check on Zona.
She woke early the next morning, to whimpering, Zona was begging.
"No daddy, please"
"Zona, it's okay, wake up" Barbara begged gathering her in her arms, gently shaking her awake, blue eyes shot open,
"Is Captain dead?" Zona asked again,
"No sweetie, he is just away for a bit, remember he'll be home soon" she promised again. "Now lets get some more sleep, so we aren't tired, you have school today remember."
"So, I can be Doctor Mabel and do magic" Zona finished, she had her dreams she was going to be a surgeon as good as Doctor Mabel and save children.
"That's right, now your father Captain Dan will be fine, this isn't his first deployment" Barbara reassured, as Timmy stirred.
"Can we see the horses?" Zona asked,
"Not yet later" Barbara suggested looking at the clock it read 0513 way to early be even thinking of getting out of bed. Zona was a morning person like Daniel, while she and Timmy preferred a lie in. Zona sighed, Barbara and Timmy sleeping, this was boring she was awake now. Zona huffed climbing out of bed going to her room to get changed before going downstairs, she got her bowl carefully pouring the cereal only spilling a little then tipped the milk, in sitting at the table to eat swinging her legs. Once finished she placed her bowl in the sink.
Normally now she'd put on her skates and go see the horses with Captain, but he wasn't here. Zona sighed staring at the skates. She knew the way to the horses, and Mammy didn't wake up for ages, neither did Timmy, she could skate there see the horses and return before they woke up. She went over stroking the skates, would mommy be mad if she did, would Timmy? The desire to see the horses was building.
It wasn't like she hadn't been out by herself before and she was desperate to tell the horses the Captain had left, so they knew to be on the look out for baddies. Before they had been rescued she was always wondering around the streets bored, while Timmy did jobs for the neighbours. And Mommy wouldn't be awake for age and ages. And she said they could go later, and it was later.
Biting her lip decision made Zona put on her skates, slipping out the back door onto the streets ready to find the horses. The sun was just rising as Zona skated down the streets, few cars went passed, but she ignored them focusing on the direction to the horse fields.
Arriving Zeus was waiting for her at the gate, Zona skated over stroking his nose,
"Captain went away" she told him sadly, "I miss him, but he has to save us from the baddies. Michelle says her uncle went away and he didn't come back he went to heaven. Mammy went to heaven, and she didn't come back, then daddy got angry" Zona bit her lip, Zeus was easy to talk to, she could tell him anything stroking his soft fur. "What if Mommy gets angry when Captain goes to heaven?" She confided, "What if daddy comes back and Captain isn't here? He could hurt mommy"
She stood stroking Zeus for a bit longer, before noticing a blue butterfly flying past, all thoughts of the Captain and daddy went out of her head as she began chasing it down the road. Butterflies were pretty and she was so close to catching it.
After a few minutes the butterfly floated higher than she could reach, going over houses, reluctantly Zona stopped chasing it, she knew she better go home, Mommy and Timmy would be awake soon, it was with horror she looked around the street she was on to realise she had no idea where she was or how to get home.
Barbara woke with her alarm, she groaned, it was too early but she had a lot to do. Get both kids ready for school, get herself ready for the early shift at work, and grab groceries on the way in. She gently shook Timmy awake, before going to the bathroom noticing Zona as normal had woken up and had gone out of the room.
She checked Zona room to find it empty, but her nightie thrown on the bed, so Zona was either running around naked or had dressed herself. Barbara dreaded what brightly coloured combo her daughter was in today. Walking downstairs Barbara noticed the split cereal and milk, the empty bowl in the sink, but no Zona, in the living room the same. More concerned now Barbara began searching for her,
"Zona, where are you?" she called worriedly, as Timmy appeared, "Can you see if your sister is up there?" she begged, he nodded,
"Zona" he called,
Barbara suddenly had an idea; she went back into the kitchen and sure enough the skates were gone. "I am going to kill that child" she muttered going outside, the garden was empty, but the back gate was open. Skates gone, back gate open, Zona had gone to see the horses.
"Timmy grab your shoes," she ordered, running upstairs to get dressed herself. Going downstairs Timmy was dressed and had her car keys in his hand, "Good boy" she praised, at least one of their children was well behaved.
"She has gone to see the horses" Timmy told her
"I know"
"She didn't mean it, she is sorry" Timmy continued trying to protect his sister climbing into the car,
"I know, I won't hurt her Timmy but there will be consequences" Barbara warned. "You can't just wonder anywhere you want to" She explained
"Why?" Timmy asked puzzled, daddy had always let them, he had never cared where they were before.
"Because people might want to hurt you" Barbara explained "You might get lost, or hurt, or I don't know, but I worry if I don't know where you are" she said frustrated, as she pulled up at the horse field. She could see Zeus and Titan standing by their stable, but there was no sign of Zona.
Parking she climbed out as did Timmy.
"Zona" she shouted, Timmy joining in as they searched around the field,
"I don't think she is here Mom" Timmy said, Barbara sighed, he was right,
"Okay let's see if she is home, keep your eyes peeled" She begged driving much slower a different way home. At home there was still no sign of Zona, getting desperate Barbara drove yet another route to the horses, and back, "maybe she went to see Nick and Emily?" she guessed having no other ideas, "Is there anywhere else she would go Timmy?" She asked desperately worst-case scenarios coming to mind.
"No, she likes the horses and home" Timmy thought of all the other places they had been, "The park?" he suggested,
"Good thinking, we can check there after talking to Stacy" Barbara checked Stacy's house, neither Nick or Emily knew where she would be, Stacy immediately volunteered to call up the military wives and start a search. Glad someone was co-ordinating it Barbara and Timmy continued to drive around desperate to catch sight of Zona. Barbara's mind thinking the worst. Someone had abducted her daughter!
Oh no, where has Zona gone, who will find her first, any guesses?