Heartbreak Warfare :: Chapter Eighteen

Bo's eyes peered open a little after 5:00PM. He hadn't realized he'd drifted off to sleep. He just remembered being fed up with Marlena and storming out of the kitchen. He quickly sat up, the sun was setting outside his bedroom window. The darkened room sent a dose of panic through his veins. He quickly threw the pillows away from his body, jumping off of the still made bed. The silence surrounding him slightly disturbed him. He didn't want to be alone.

Hope had been gone too long, he raced to the bedroom door, hastily throwing it open. He went down the stairs, skipping two at a time in his rush. The house was bright in contrast to his bedroom. Lights were on and voices faintly floated toward the stairs. He could hear laughter coming from the kitchen. His heart relaxed slightly at the sound and he attempted to look calm as he walked through the kitchen door.

"Daddy!" Ciara greeted wth a squeal, "You're just in time to help us with cookies!"

Relief washed over him, "Hey little one…" He grinned and scooped her up in a crushing hug. It had been too long since he'd held her last, "I missed you." Guilt washed over him at the thought of the last time he had been alone with her.

"I missed you too," Ciara smiled back, "Are you feeling better sleepy head?"

Bo smiled. His eyes watered, "Much better now that you're here."

"And mommy!" Ciara cheered.

Bo glanced over to see Hope clad in an apron, holding a mixing bowl, "Who are you and what have you done with my wife?"

Ciara giggled, "Daddy, that is your wife!"

Bo stepped closer to Hope, shifting Ciara to his hip, "Mrs. Brady is that you?"

Hope smiled, "It is me… shocking I know, but this little girl here is quite persuasive."

"Hmmm…." Bo looked at Ciara who smiled happily in his arms, "There's only one way to find out if it's her."

"Kiss her!" Ciara whispered into Bo's ear.

Bo leaned in, kissing his wife more eagerly than she anticipated. A blush filled her cheeks as she gently pulled away and bit her lip.

"Bo," She whispered tossing a sideways glance at their daughter.

"That's her alright," Bo nodded to Ciara. He placed her back on the ground.

"Daddy, I'm teaching mommy how to make cookies like Grandma Caroline." Ciara announced, "Do you want to help us?"

"Can you handle two students Miss Brady?" Bo asked with raised eyebrows, "It may get a little rowdy in here."

"Of course I can," Ciara replied, "I'm a big girl, but you have to wear an apron. It's the rules."

Bo watched Ciara run out of the kitchen, "Where's she going?"

Hope shrugged, "I think the apron she has in mind for you is in her bedroom."

"Lucky me," Bo smiled and hooked his fingers in her belt loops. He pulled her close to him, looked her over once, and kissed her again. An eager desperation brewed deep inside of him. When they parted for air, Hope eyed him closely.

"Are you okay?" Hope asked quietly. She brushed his hair away from his face with her fingers, "You slept a long time."

Bo nodded, "I had a headache when Marlena left."

Hope waited, staring into his eyes.

Bo's eyes clouded with emotion, "Do we have to talk about it right now?"

Hope shook her head, "No."

He pulled her closer, wrapping her in a hug. He relaxed into her embrace letting the weight drain out of him, "I'm just kinda talked out. I missed you."

Hope cupped his face, "I love you. Promise to tell me when you're ready?"

Bo took a shaky breath. His panic was subsiding now that she stood in his arms, "Promise."

He kissed her gently. The familiar yearn for her screamed in his groin.

"Eww, Dad!" Ciara scolded as she raced back into the room, "That's enough kissing already!"

Bo smiled at his daughter's re-entrance into the kitchen. He placed wet kisses all over Hope's face and down her neck, "I can't Ciara… She's just so beautiful. She's been gone all day. I missed her."

Hope laughed as Bo's facial hair tickled her neck, "Brady!"

"Daddy, this is a classroom. Students have to keep their hands to themselves. Those are the rules." Ciara announced.

"Oh…" Bo dropped his hands to his side, "Strict teacher."

Hope blushed again. He was making her feel like a school girl, pretend classroom setting or not.

"Here is your apron," Ciara instructed, "You need a mixing bowl like Mommy's."

"Ciara Alice," Hope feigned disapproval, "Two batches of cookies? Are you getting two batches of cookies out of this?!"

"Well, one is for insurance." Ciara said confidently, "In case one of them turns out bad."

Hope's jaw dropped and she smacked Bo's shoulder with the wooden spoon she held, "See what you've taught our daughter?"

Bo laughed, rubbing his shoulder, "I didn't teach her anything but the facts, and you just broke the rules. Keep your hands to yourself."

"I'll keep my hands to myself alright," Hope huffed. She grabbed a handful of flour, tossing it directly into Bo's face.

"Mommy!" Ciara shrieked, "You can't do that!"

Bo blinked the flour out of his eyes. He smacked his lips, "Hmm. Doesn't taste like a cookie yet."

Excitement raced through Hope as she readied herself for battle. Bo's eyes glimmered behind the mask of flour he wore. He reached for the bowl of frosting in front of him, grabbing a handful and purposefully smearing it across Hope's face.

"Bo!" Hope playfully whined, reaching for his wrist in an attempt to stop him.

"Daddy!" Ciara gasped, "What are you doing?!"

"It's war little one," Bo declared as he reached for weapons of food, "Food fight!"

Hope squealed with delight as she smashed an egg on his chest.

"Fancy Face…" Bo chuckled, "You're so dead."

Ciara threw flour in the air, showering all of them in white dust. She giggled at her parents banter.

Hope turned on her heel racing out the back door. Bo raced after her and Ciara followed, a look of wonder on her face as she watched her parents play.

Bo flour bombed Hope from behind, turning her hair white. He smacked her hard on the behind, leaving a handprint of frosting on her pants.

"Ow!" Hope protested as she stopped. She turned to face him, ready to launch more eggs at him.

"Oh no, you don't." Bo shook his head. He was laughing. She looked ridiculous covered in baking contents, but he'd never wanted her more. His heart soared as he tackled her to the ground.

"Bo Brady!" Hope screamed as she went down with a thud. An egg cracked between their hands as they struggled over ammunition together.

"Give up…" Bo demanded.

"Get off of me!" Hope laughed relentlessly as Bo tickled her, "Ciara help!"

Ciara ran to them and jumped on her father's back, "Daddy, you better stop. I have sprinkles."

Bo stopped tickling Hope, "Sprinkles?!"

Hope took the opportunity of a distracted Bo and pulled the can of whip cream out from behind her. She aimed the nozzle at his head, smearing it into his hair for good measure.

Ciara screamed as Bo attempted to retaliate with honey, and dropped sprinkles over all of them.

"Truce!" Hope screamed, as sprinkles and honey landed all over her, "Truce!"

"You look so yummy…" Bo mumbled, as he tossed the honey aside. He nibbled at the honey on her collar bone.

"Ciara, how could you gang up on me?" Hope asked breathlessly, "I thought you were coming to save me?"

Bo rolled off of Hope, laying next to her. Ciara plopped down next to Bo and the three of them lay in the grass staring up at the dark sky. They each wore a goofy grin as they attempted to catch their breath.

"You two are the worst students ever," Ciara finally announced. She sat up and stared at her parents, "You deserve a detention."

"Uh oh," Bo laughed, "Busted."

"How about you and daddy make the cookies, and I'll clean up our mess?" Hope asked, "Deal?"

Ciara pretended to think for a moment before smiling wide at both of her parents, "Deal."

"At least we know they'll turn out edible that way," Bo mumbled. He groaned when Hope delivered a fist to his chest.

"You'd better watch it Brady," Hope glared as she made it to her feet. She offered her hand to pull him up, "I'll be using more than cooking ingredients to get you this time."

"Mmmm?" Bo grinned seductively, "I like the sound of that…"

"Brady!" Hope playfully smacked the side of his head.

"Why are you so abusive tonight?" Bo asked as he swatted at her butt.

"Daddy, last one to the kitchen is a rotten egg!" Ciara interrupted. She couldn't contain her excitement as she sprinted for the back door.

Bo and Hope walked hand in hand behind her, smiling as they watched their daughter run. Hope glanced behind her when she felt Bo stop.

"Everything okay?" Hope asked, noticing the tears in Bo's eyes.

Bo nodded, swallowing the swell of emotion in his throat, "Thank you."

Hope's eyebrows furrowed, "For what? Brady?" She went to him, wiping at the lone tears that spilled over onto his flour covered face.

Bo exhaled slowly, regaining his composure, "Thank you… For making me feel normal."

Hope squeezed his hand. She saw her husband standing there, not the broken man that had returned from the pit. She was grateful. She saw progress.

"Marlena keeps telling me that I need trained professionals and a facility, but I don't." Bo tucked her hair behind her ear, "I just need you."

Hope's eyes softened, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Nights like these…" Bo nodded, wiping at his eyes, "This is what I need."

"Then lets have more of them," Hope smiled. She kissed his cheek and they resumed their walk back into their home. Ciara was more than ready for Bo's assistance, and the two of them went to work on a batch of cookies. Hope immediately began the daunting task of cleaning up the mess their food fight had created. Although she was content watching and listening to Bo and Ciara interact as she cleaned, she occasionally chimed in. Together, for the first time in a long time, they spent the evening in the kitchen as a family.