32. A few days later

x

To boost the atmosphere amongst them after the great loss of Darien, Wolf and Cruz had talked the younger children and early teens into playing football. Cruz and Wolf would be on the kids team which included also Ashley and Sam, although still seeing the loss of their mother on their faces, they had been willing to give the game a try. Mike's kids Lucas, Sophie and Laura were also participating along with Andrea's girl Lily and Maria's boys León and José.

The opposing team had quite the party as the participating adults were Danny, Ravit, Burk, Maria, Frankie, Smith, Mike, Alisha, Andrea and Will Mason. Christine was the goalkeeper which had made Mike burst out in laughter as she would hardly give their team a fighting chance. But then again.. They were playing against kids, well mostly kids. So it wasn't suppose to be all that serious. Bertrise had volunteered as a referee because she was used to playing football with her brother, so she knew some of the rules.

"I want a clean game." He heard Mike say to his daughters as they seemed to have their game face on.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner 0-0 Vulture Team

So as they were playing the first match and seemed to be losing to bunch of children, Mike had been right. Christine was no good at keeping the goal ball free. She might be a ninja in the kitchen but football wasn't her strongest area.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner 2-0 Vulture Team

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner 4-1 Vulture Team

"You wanna give up?" He heard Wolf smirk at them as they were taking a break.

"The game is rigged!" Frankie yelled and he chuckled. Yeah, it was rigged all right. It was just a distraction to keep their thoughts somewhere else than in the sorrow they all were experiencing. Especially Ashley and Sam. Glancing around, there was quite the crowd circling their little arena, he noticed Kara sitting on the side and watching the game. And as he looked further he could see the figure of their Captain as he stood and observed the game from a distance. Sighing to himself as he couldn't imagine how he felt right now, after the devastating loss of his wife.

The game was back on and he was trying to maneuver his way through the kids who were trying to distract him and as he kicked the ball he felt the tackling made by Cruz and he fell on his back in front of the goal of the opposite team. Catching his breath as he looked at the blue sky where the sun was shining.

"Foul play!" He heard Mike state.

"Come on, get up". He heard his voice and saw the hand in front of him. As he met the man's gaze, he smiled. Reaching for his hand and getting up as he pulled him.

"Your getting sloppy old man." He winked at him.

"Who you calling sloppy? The score is 7-2." He heard his amused tone. Chuckling to himself, he felt happy that he had pulled through the trial. Remembering the promise he had made to Tex to find his daughter, he wouldn't break it. He would help him find his daughter, they all would. And now they also had a chance to save the world.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner 8-3 Vulture Team

The game was over and he had seen that the distraction had been a success during their game. There had been laughter from all the children, even Ashley and Sam had had a face of joy for a moment. But he was fearing that the moment was now gone.

He noticed himself missing the normal life. Coming home from a deployment and hitting his apartment. Placing the bag of dirty clothes in front of the laundry room. Taking a shower for more than 5 minutes, relishing the feel of hot water running down on his body. After the shower, the best part was that he didn't have to shave, one thing he disliked was the neat shaving routine. He looked 10 years younger without the beard.

In the evening he would go out with the guys if they were in town, to celebrate that they had made it home in one piece and not inside of a wooden box. Couple days later he would travel to Connecticut to meet up with his family, catch up with them. And if there was a lady in the picture, she would be the first stop on his list.

Thinking how would it be if he got home to Kara? Smiling at the thought of coming home and setting his bag beside the doorway as she would come and greet him. He could get used to that. And now it might not be just a thought anymore.

"I didn't know you were that bad." He felt her arms around him as he came back from his thoughts.

"I'm not." He smiled and turned to look at her, holding her close to him.

"You lost the game to bunch of kids." She chuckled.

"They had a Wolf, and Cruz was there too. And Tex." He tried to reason with a tone of lightness in his voice.

He then leaned his forehead against hers as he was staring at her eyes "I was just trying to imagine how would it be like to come home to you after a deployment.."

"I imagine it would feel like coming home, a warm place where you are loved, wanted and waited." She smiled softly.

"I love you." He kissed her forehead.