Forbidden love for a Barkley
Part Forty Eight:
"Ave Maria, pt. 2: Disturbance in the Air"
Two of the masked men brought their latest prisoner and ordered him to get to work after calling him "swine". At Barkley Ranch, Ciego and Brahma would inform Heath that just when one of the masked men was about to hang Brahma, Jarrod offered himself in exchange for the lives of the ranch hands. At first, the masked men didn't accept the offer, but after Jarrod stripped off his shirt, hat, jacket, and gun belt, they changed their minds and took him. Upon hearing this, Violet whimpered and covered her mouth, clearly horrified before gathering herself together and insisting that they all go and get help now. Heath agreed to it, but instructed Brahma, Ciego, and Julissa to stay home as the masked men were said to be very dangerous and if they were to see the two ranch hands, the second go around wouldn't go like the first one plus he won't have any more of them putting themselves in harm's way than those who already have done so. Julissa would plead her case by mentioning somebody by the name of Valery before bursting into tears. Heath would ask who Valery was to which Julissa would explain that Valery was her brother who has basically disappeared off the face of the Earth plus that he was a neighbor to the Ballingers and was in a feud with them when he vanished. Violet would recognize the name Ballinger and say that like Julissa, her brother Nunzio has also vanished. Nunzio, as it turns out, was the servant to the Ballinger family like how Silas is to the Barkleys only the former was fired and has not been seen or heard from since. Also like Julissa, Violet fears that her brother is no longer alive. Knowing that three brothers have vanished and wanting to find them fast, Heath decided to let Julissa tag along with Violet and him & off they went. Prior to this, after Nadine had a vision of a man being kidnapped and a place being on fire, Eugene and Daphne rushed to town, saw that Dieter's bakery was indeed engulfed in flames, and tried to put them out while looking for him. They would be joined by Heath, Violet, and Julissa who would do their best to help them stop the fire from spreading. This triggered a memory for Heath and that memory was none other than the time he, Nick, and Jarrod encountered Bridget Wells, Michelle De Lacaise, and Gail Miller & transported nitroglycerin to the wildfire. As they were in the process of putting the fire out, Eugene and Violet would have a back and forth in regards to Jarrod possibly meaning more to his secretary than just the whole boss/employee relationship only for the conversation to stop when a burning beam crashed onto Daphne's back. Eugene would carry her out of Dieter's bakery and take her to Dr. Merar's in order to get her checked out. Meanwhile, at the Mangano household, Nick would be in the process of delivering Chiara's foal which by now was looking like another breech. A howl would be heard and Chiara would start to move around frantically. In order to try to calm her down, Carmine would begin to softly sing to her. It turns out, the Mangano patriarch is a good singer and both Stefania and Nick would remember times from their childhoods where their fathers would sing to them from time to time. Chiara would start to calm down, but it wouldn't last long as the howl was heard yet again which in turn, caused her to buck and whinny in a fearful way. Stefania would offer to go out and see what was howling and why only for Nick to put the kibosh on that, telling her that a) he needed someone to hold her tail and b) he didn't want whatever was out there to get her. All the while, back at Barkley Ranch, Nadine would feel a burning sensation on her back and start to get a vision of what had happened to Daphne, only not revealing that it was Daphne as of yet. She would say that while the person was alright and going to see Dr. Merar, three people were left to fight the raging fire. As of now, Carl would ask if there were others around to which Nadine would reveal that while there wasn't anyone around as of yet, she was beginning to sense that others may rush to help the three. The questions that remain are as follows: Who is the masked men's latest prisoner/hostage?, Where's Jarrod?, Where's Dieter?, Will Daphne be okay?, Will Chiara and Nadine finally have their babies?, Will others help the three fight the raging fire before it spreads to everything else around it?, What will come of Dieter's bakery after this?, What happened to Esther, Nunzio, and Valery?, Will Violet admit that Jarrod means more to her than what she is saying?, Are there sparks between Julissa and Heath?, Where's Nadine's husband?, Who or what is the source of the howling?, and most importantly, will the other prisoners/hostages be released safe and sound or will it be too late? Stay tuned and find out!
Author's Note: I do NOT own The Big Valley or its characters. I ONLY own this fic and the characters of: Stefania Mangano, Carmine Mangano Sr, Carmine's friends, Paulie Mangano, Italia Mangano, Emilio Mangano, Serafina Mangano, Santo Mangano, Francesca Mangano, Cara & Mariah Mangano, Chet and the men Heath rounded up, Jess and Mavis Chaney, the Animal Team, Leonard Barkley, Seth & his gang, Violet Pascucci, Julissa Kurilenko, Daphne Gubenheimer, Simonetta Mangano, Father Margolis, Caleb (the little boy in the church), the Masked Men, Dakota the Mourning Dove, the Python that is attacking Carl, Nadine Clearwater, the Clearwater family, Dieter Gubenheimer, Chiara the Mangano family horse, and the Mangano family. As I stated in previous chapters, I'm modeling the relationship between Jarrod and Violet after the one of James Bond/007 and Miss Moneypenny & Marshal Matt Dillon and Kitty Russell which by the way, those characters, the James Bond franchise, and Gunsmoke rightfully belong to their owners. Ooh! One more thing, I'm modeling Nadine Clearwater after Lucy Lawless's character Xena in the show "Xena: Warrior Princess" and Sonny Landham's character Billy Sole in the film "Predator" (1987) [You will see why in another chapter or so] with her last name paying homage to the band Creedence Clearwater Revival a.k.a. CCR which happens to be one of my favorite bands. All of those (Xena, Billy Sole, "Xena: Warrior Princess", "Predator" (1987) and Creedence Clearwater Revival) belong to their rightful owners. Before I forget, as you can see, this is the second part of another multi-parter chapter saga & I modeled the title of this chapter after the song of the same name. The song belongs to Franz Schubert. That being said and without further ado, happy reading! :D
Warning/Trigger Warning: There may be a birth and all that goes with it, a raging fire, and more hints at extrasensory perception (ESP)/psychic visions & disappearance of two characters possible murder of two characters in this chapter. The birthing parts may or may not get a little graphic. If any of it makes you uncomfortable or bothers you, please feel free to skip this chapter.
(Flashback to part 47)
"But what?" Heath asked.
"What about Valery?" Julissa asked, eyes glazing over.
"Valery? Who's Valery?" Heath asked.
Julissa sat in a nearby chair and started crying her eyes out.
*Meanwhile, with Eugene and Daphne*
A good five minutes passed when Eugene and Daphne arrived in town and went straight to Dieter's bakery. Eugene got out of the buggy and ran right up to the door.
"Dieter! Dieter!" Eugene knocked on the door.
Daphne got out of the buggy, came over to the door, and said a few things in German.
"Dieter! Dieter, it is me. Eugene Barkley and your cousin Daphne. Dieter, are you alright?" Eugene called out.
"Dieter, bitte öffnen Sie. Bitte! (Dieter, please open up. Please!)" Daphne knocked on the window.
"Diet-" Eugene paused and started sniffing the air, "Daph, do you smell that?"
"Smell vhat?" Daphne asked.
"Burning. Somethi-Daph, the bakery's burning! Get some water while I go in and get Dieter!" Eugene instructed before kicking the door open and running inside.
*Inside Dieter's bakery*
Smoke was billowing out of the place, more flames were everywhere, and almost everything was nearly charred. Eugene was whisking the smoke away in order to try and find his way around the place.
"Dieter! Dieter!" Eugene called out before going into a coughing fit.
No answer except for roaring flames.
"Dieter! Dieter! Dieter Gubenheimer!" Eugene called out before grabbing a broom and starting to beat on part of the flames.
"Dieter! Dieter! Dieter, wo bist du? Dieter, antworte uns! (Dieter! Dieter! Dieter, where are you? Dieter, answer us!)" Daphne came in with a bucket of water and threw it on part of the flames, extinguishing that part.
"Dieter, knock or call out or something, so Daphne and I could find you." Eugene yelled out.
No answer.
"Dieter! Dieter! Dieter, bitte sag uns, wo du bist! (Dieter! Dieter! Dieter, please tell us where you are!)" Daphne called out.
*All the while, at the Mangano household*
"Nick, what was that you just said?" Carmine asked.
"Carmine, Stefania, I think Chiara might be having another breech." Nick still had a look of worry in his eyes.
Chiara whinnied and snorted.
"Oh no." Stefania sighed and shook her head.
"Our poor Chiara." Carmine petted Chiara's head.
"I know. I was hoping it wasn't going to be a breech, but luckily, I have the foal and am going to deliver it." Nick nodded.
Chiara whinnied, again.
"Easy, Chiara, easy. Easy, baby." Carmine continued to pet her head.
"It's okay, girl. Your foal will be here soon." Nick said to Chiara as he started the process of delivering.
Chiara snorted, pawed the ground with her hoof, and moved her head.
"It's okay, baby. It's okay. Relax." Stefania said to Chiara.
A howl was heard from nearby. This caused Chiara to go from somewhat calm to anxious and start bucking.
"Easy, Chiara, easy. Easy, girl." Nick told her.
"Chiara, take it easy. Take it easy or you'll slip your foal." Carmine kept petting her head and started to gently shush her.
The howl was heard, again and Chiara started moving around a little frantically.
"Chiara, Chiara, settle down. Settle it down, please." Nick said.
"Nick, do you have her foal?" Stefania asked.
"I do and I'm trying to deliver him or her, but Chiara's about to run with me in the middle of delivering." Nick replied.
While petting and trying to calm Chiara down, Carmine started to softly sing to her. This got Nick and Stefania's attention. Nick, clearly impressed by how beautiful the Mangano patriarch's voice was, smiled.
"Stefania, your father has a pretty voice." Nick whispered to her.
"I know. In fact, this takes me back to the days where he would sing to all of us in order to help us sleep. Especially, if any of us got scared." Stefania smiled as she fondly remembered those days.
"That reminds me of my father." Nick's smile grew brighter, "He did the same for us when he was home. Otherwise, mother would usually do it."
"Lovely memories." Stefania replied.
"They sure are, Stefania. They sure are lovely." Nick nodded.
After a few minutes, thanks to Carmine's singing, Chiara started to calm down, but this wouldn't last for long as the howl was heard, yet again which in turn caused Chiara to start bucking and whinny in a fearful way.
"Whoa, Chiara, whoa. Whoa." Nick said.
"Easy does it, Chiara. Easy, baby." Stefania said.
Chiara kept bucking and whinnying in a fearful way, even starting to kick her front legs.
"Chiara, take it easy, girl. Take 'er easy. It's okay. Your foal is almost here." Nick told her as he started pulling in a gentle way.
"It is?" Stefania looked at Nick.
"Yup. They are coming along with a lot of blood." Nick nodded as he continued pulling.
"Almost there, Chiara." Stefania whispered.
The howl was heard once more, this time closer. Chiara neighed and bucked more aggressively than before.
"Chiara, I know it's painful. We all know, but please, calm yourself. Please." Stefania petted her.
"She's not only in pain, Stefania. She's really scared. Whatever is out there howling is really scaring her. Poor thing's having a tough labor with a possible breech and something comes along to scare her. Like she doesn't have enough going on." Nick replied.
"I'll go check to see what it is." Stefania told him.
"No, no, I need someone to hold her tail and I don't want whatever is out there to get you, too." Nick shook his head.
*Back at Barkley Ranch*
"Julissa, who's Valery?" Heath gently asked.
"Valery was...was my brother." Julissa sniffed.
"I take it either you two are not on speaking terms and you feel bad or something to happened to him." Heath rubbed her shoulder.
"I'm afraid that...that...that something happened to him." Julissa replied, "He hasn't responded to my letters or anyting (anything)."
"Something as in?" Heath asked.
"Someting (Something) as in death. I'm afraid he is no longer wis (with) us." Julissa wiped some tears away.
"Now, what makes you think that?" Heath put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Well, he was the neighbor of somebody named Ballinger. He told me that this Ballinger person was very rude and bigoted. He was in a feud wis (with) that person when I suddenly stopped receiving letters from him." Julissa explained in between sobs, "Valery explained that he feared for his life, because Ballinger had a murderous look in his eyes and he saw how horribly that man treated his wife."
"I'm so sorry to hear that, Julissa. I hope that ain't the case for Hiram Ballinger and his bunch. They have a body count as it is." Heath shook his head.
"Did you say Ballinger?" Violet chimed in.
"Yes. Why?" Heath turned to Violet.
"My brother Nunzio was a servant of theirs. Like how Silas is to your family." Violet replied.
"Was?" Brahma asked.
"He was abruptly fired and like Valery, I haven't seen or heard from him since." Violet sighed, "I don't even know if he is still with us. I thought he may have gone back to New York to our aunt Fiona, but the place he was living at still had all of his belongings. I've been suspicious for sometime."
"I don't blame either of you. I would be, too. In fact, why don't we get a head start to go look for them while we search for Jarrod." Brahma suggested.
"No, Brahma. You and Ciego stay here. I'll go with Violet and Julissa." Heath told him.
"I tought (thought) you wanted me to stay here." Julissa was a bit thrown off.
"I did, but this is your brother we're talking about. Well, it's actually our brothers who's lives are at stake and it's best we go looking for them." Heath went out the front door, Julissa and Violet following.
*Out in the barn*
Heath started hitching Charger and Audra's horse to a buggy as Violet and Julissa watched. Julissa had a look of impression and a gleam in her eye. There was something about the blonde haired Barkley son that really seemed to catch her eye.
"Okay. All ready to go." Heath said before helping Julissa and Violet up into the buggy.
"Thank you, Heath." Violet said.
"Tank you (Thank you)." Julissa half smiled.
"You're welcome, ladies." Heath nodded before turning his attention to Charger and Audra's horse, "Giddyup, you two. Giddyup."
The horses did as they were told and off the trio went.
*A few minutes later*
As they were heading out, Heath stopped when noticed smoke up ahead. It started to bring back memories of the time he, Nick, and Jarrod transported nitroglycerin to that wildfire in order to create a firebreak after the trio encountered Bridget Wells, Michelle De Lacaise, and Gail Miller. Memories he and his family wanted to put in the past. As Heath continued to stare at the smoke and get flashbacks, Julissa tapped on his shoulder.
"Who? What?" Heath snapped out of his thoughts.
"What is wrong, Heath?" Julissa asked.
"There's smoke up ahead." Heath said, not taking his eyes off of the smoke.
"Let's go. Jarrod may be up there!" Violet told him.
"You're probably right." Heath said before tapping the horses with the reigns.
The horses got going and before anybody knew it, the trio arrived to Dieter's Bakery which was now almost entirely burned to ash. Heath and the two ladies got out of the carriage, grabbed buckets, got some water, and ran inside in order to extinguish the flames.
"Heath, Violet, Julissa, vhat (what) are you...what are you doing here?" Daphne bumped into the trio and coughed.
"We saw the smoke and had to come immediately." Heath threw a bucket of water on some of the flames.
"Who would do such a thing?" Violet said as she extinguished another part of the flames.
"Did either of you find Dieter?" Heath asked before going out to get some more water.
"No. Daph and I looked everywhere, but no sign of him. It's like he either disappeared or...well, you know." Eugene coughed.
"You don't zhink (think)-" Daphne was cut off.
"Let's not jump to conclusions, yet. First, let's get this fire out then search everywhere for him." Violet tried to keep everyone calm.
"What brought you three out here besides the smoke? I thought you three were staying back with mother, Nadine, Audra, and everyone else." Eugene coughed, again.
"We were, but Julissa's brother Valery has disappeared as has my brother Nunzio and we figured that while we search for Jarrod, we can search for them, too." Violet wiped sweat off of her forehead.
"No offense, but Violet, you really care about Jarrod, don't you?" Eugene asked.
"Yes, I do. Like how an employee-" Violet was cut off.
"Violet, you don't need to use a cover or hide anything. You can be honest." Eugene told her.
"I can be honest? What does that mean?" Violet asked, clearly uncomfortable.
"Violet, I can tell that Jarrod means more to you than just the whole boss and employee thing." Eugene pointed out.
"Eugene, I-" Violet was cut off, again.
"Eugene, let's ask question later, please." Daphne said, "First, let's put this fire out and find Dieter."
"You're right, Daph. However, Violet, please go into detail later on, if you feel like it." Eugene nodded.
"Yeah. Sure." Violet nodded back.
Daphne was about to say something only to be stopped when a burning beam fell onto her back, knocking her down and causing her to scream in pain.
"DAPHNE! DAPHNE!" Eugene ran over to her, pulled the beam off, and carried her outside.
Daphne said a few words in German as she cried out in pain while being carried outside.
*Outside*
Heath was just coming in with more water when Eugene came out carrying Daphne.
"Gene, what happened?" Heath was concerned.
"Daphne had a burning beam fall on her. I'm going to take her to Dr. Merar's just in case." Eugene said as he carried Daphne to the buggy, placed her in it, got in himself, and took off.
*Back at Barkley Ranch*
"Ohhhhh! My back!" Nadine hissed in pain.
"What is it, Nadine?" Allegra asked.
"My back! My back! My b-back...it burns! It burns!" Nadine cried out.
"Your back burns?" Victoria got a puzzled look on her face.
"Yeah. It burns as if...as if...as if a burning piece of wood dropped onto it." Nadine writhed around for a bit.
"A burning piece of wood?" Carl scratched the back of his head.
"Yes. A burning piece of wood from a building that was on fire. Somebody...Somebody was trying to put out the fire, but the beam dropped on their back." Nadine nodded.
"Nadine, how do you know all of this?" Audra grabbed a cloth and wiped sweat off of Nadine's forehead.
"I'm having a vision of what all just happened five minutes ago." Nadine said as the vision started playing out.
"What happened?" Paulie asked.
"There was a fire and five people tried their best to put it out. One of them was in the middle of doing just that when a burning beam fell on them." Nadine replied.
"Is that poor soul alright as of now?" Victoria asked.
"Mmmmhmmm. Another person is taking them to Dr. Merar which leaves three people to fight that fire." Nadine nodded.
"Three people are fighting that fire? Aren't there others around?" Carl was puzzled.
"No, not yet, but I'm sensing that others may rush to help the three." Nadine told him.
(Now)
"Oh, I hope others do show up and fast, because only time will tell with that fire." Audra sighed.
"If I may ask, where exactly is the fire, Nadine?" Paulie asked.
"It's a bakery." Nadine rubbed her belly, again.
"A ba-" Victoria gasped before turning to Audra and everyone else & putting her hand over her mouth, "Dieter's Bakery!"
"That's where Eugene headed to just moments ago." Carl said.
"Nadine, is Eugene alright? Can you see anything in your vision that indicates anything in regards to Eugene?" Audra was curious and afraid at the same time.
"Eugene is safe. He is not the one who had the burning beam on his back. As I see it more and more clea-Owwwww! Ohhhhhhhh! I'm sorry!" Nadine felt another pain and kept rubbing her belly.
"It's okay, honey. Take some deep breaths then tell us what you see in your vision." Victoria rubbed her shoulder.
"Deep breaths, young lady. Deep breaths." Andrea chimed in.
Nadine cried out in more pain only unlike before, she now had tears streaming down her cheeks. This indicated that this pain was worse than before.
"It's going to be alright, Nadine. Just take some deep breaths." Carl gently told her.
After a few minutes and pains passed, Nadine did just that and started to relax a little.
"Keep going. You're doing good, Nadine. You're doing good." Victoria continued to rub her shoulder.
Nadine kept taking a few more deep breaths before eventually relaxing against her pillow.
"Atta girl." Victoria smiled.
"I'm sorry." Nadine sighed.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Nadine. You're having a baby and the pains that go along with the birthing part. It's all a part of the game as they say." Audra told her.
"That's right, young lady. It is not your fault. When you're in pain, cry out as much as you need to." Andrea nodded.
"I know, but I was in the middle of telling you the vision I had and it got interrupted." Nadine replied.
"Sometimes that happens, Nadine. Just give it time and it'll come back to you." Victoria tried to reassure her.
"Nadine, if any of us may ask, where's your husband in all of this?" Paulie asked.
*With Daphne and Eugene*
Daphne and Eugene had since arrived to Dr. Merar's office and both of them were being checked in order to see whether or not they suffered anything from the bakery fire. Luckily, the youngest Barkley child was not injured at all and Daphne only suffered minor burns to her back that would eventually become blisters that would pop on their own. As of right now, Dr. Merar was applying some salve on the burns.
"Autsch! (Ouch!)" Daphne yelped.
"I'm sorry, Miss Gubenheimer." Dr. Merar said as he tried to be as gentle as he could.
"It's gonna be alright, Daph." Eugene held her hand and rubbed it while looking away with his eyes shut.
"There we go. All done." Dr. Merar got through putting the salve on Daphne's burns and pulled her dress back down from her shoulders, before turning to Eugene, "Eugene, you can look now. Her dress is covering her back."
"Nothing's exposed?" Eugene still had his head turned.
"No. No exposure." Dr. Merar replied.
"Thank goodness." Eugene opened his eyes and turned his attention back to Daphne and the doctor.
"Now, I highly recommend you take her home, Eugene." Dr. Merar told him.
"Take me home? Vhat about my cousin Dieter?" Daphne asked.
"Dr. Merar, her cousin's bakery is on fire and we haven't found him. We need to find him and pronto." Eugene told him.
"I understand, but Miss Gubenheimer has burns on her back that are thankfully minor. The best thing she can do is rest, because if she were to go back to that fire, not only would she be at risk for severe burns, but also infection and we all know what infection can do and how out of control it can become." Dr. Merar sounded firm.
"Yes, we do, doctor, but with all due respect, it isn't your cousin who besides losing his livelihood, may have possibly...well, you know." Eugene looked Dr. Merar right in the eye.
"Eugene, I understand perfectly, but I do not want Daphne's wounds getting worse. It's for the best that she rests. Besides, you said so yourself, Heath and two others are fighting that fire,even though in his condition, I don't want him being too active. That being said, there's enough people fighting the fire and once it is out, they'll look for Dieter, so that's enough right there. You and especially Daphne don't really need to be there, if you think about it." Dr. Merar affirmed.
"I suppose." Eugene reluctantly relented.
Daphne said a few things in German and shook her head.
"I know neither of you are happy about this, but what good would Daphne be to Dieter if she got sick from infection spreading if her wounds were to get infected?" Dr. Merar asked.
"I vouldn't (wouldn't) be much use and it iz (is) for zhe (the) besht (best) if I rest." Daphne sadly sighed before getting down from the examination table.
Eugene hooked his arm into hers and walked her to the door.
"Listen you two, Dieter will be fine. I've known him for a while and he is a tough man. He won't go down without a fight. Heath and the other two will find him. I'm sure of it." Dr. Merar tried to reassure Eugene and Daphne.
"We can only hope. Well, thank you, Dr. Merar. I'll get Daphne home and make sure she rests." Eugene nodded before leaving with Daphne.
*Outside*
Eugene gently helped Daphne up into the buggy before climbing up himself and getting ready to head back to Barkley Ranch only for Daphne to stop him by placing her hand on his.
"Daph?" Eugene said.
"Eugene, I'm wery (very) vorried (worried) about Dieter! I don't vant to rest knowing that-" Daphne was cut off.
"I know you are, Daph and I am, too. However, like Dr. Merar said, you need to rest." Eugene told her.
"I know zhat (that), Eugene. I know, but Dieter means zhe (the) vorld (world) to me. He really does. He's all I have left for family!" Daphne wiped away fresh tears.
"I know that, Daphne, but you heard what the doctor said and plus, you know Dieter wouldn't want you to get sick or worse. That being said, once I take you back to the ranch, while you rest, I'll go back to the bakery and help Heath, Violet, and Julissa. How does that sound?" Eugene took her hands into his.
"Zhat (That) sounds good, but it vouldn't (wouldn't) be the same without me helping." Daphne replied.
"I know, but Dieter will understand and plus, I was once romantically linked to you, so with me there, it'll be like you're there, if that makes sense." Eugene tried to reassure her.
"It shouldn't, but it does." Daphne half smiled, "Danke, Eugene."
"You're welcome or gern geschehen in your language." Eugene smiled back.
"Hey! I didn't know you could shpeak (speak) some of my language." Daphne was impressed.
"Well, I learned a few words from you and Dieter. Gern geschehen is the only thing I can remember." Eugene blushed a little.
"We'll have to teach you some more vords (words)." Daphne nodded.
"I look forward to it, but as of now, let's head back to the ranch." Eugene said before tapping his horse with the reins, "Giddyup. Hyah."
The horse did as it was told and off they went.
*Back at the Mangano household*
"But what about the howling?" Stefania asked.
"We'll look for the source after we deliver Chiara's foal and get her calmed down." Nick said as he continued pulling.
Chiara whinnied, again.
"Come on, Chiara. Come on, girl. Push, push, push." Nick told her.
"You need to push, Chiara. Nick is doing all the pulling." Stefania said.
The howling was heard once again followed by growling. This caused Chiara to move around frantically once again only this time, she also kicked Nick's broken leg.
"YeeeeeeeeeOuch!" Nick hollered before biting his lip and holding back tears.
"Nick, what happened? I heard you scream." Carmine was curious.
"Papa, Chiara kicked Nick in his broken leg." Stefania told her father before turning to Nick, "Oh, Nick. I'm sorry she did that. Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah. I'm good. I'll be fine." Nick took a deep breath and composed himself, "Whew! I've been hit in my broken leg before and even fell on it, but never kicked. Especially by a horse. That was a little unexpected, but I understand why she did it. Poor girl is scared. Well, I'm going to try and get her foal out fast that way we can see who or what is howling out there."
"Alright, but be careful, Nick. Please." Stefania persisted.
"I will, Stefania. However, I'll be fine. My leg and I will be alright." Nick replied.
"I h-" Stefania paused and got a perplexed look on her face.
"What was that, Stefania?" Nick asked.
Stefania's perplexed look changed to that of a concerned look as she remained silent.
"Stefania, are you alright?" Nick started to get concerned himself.
Stefania didn't say anything and looked out at the horizon.
"Stefania, stai bene? Cosa c'è che non va? (Stefania, are you alright? What's wrong?)" Carmine asked.
"Stefania, cosa c'è? Sembri turbata da qualcosa. (Stefania, what is it? You seem disturbed by something.)" Nick reverted to Italian.
"Huh? What?" Stefania snapped out of her thoughts.
"Stefania, you seemed disturbed by something. Is everything alright?" Nick reverted back to English.
"Oh yes. Everything's...Everything's fine, Nick." Stefania nodded.
"Are you sure?" Nick asked.
"Yes, Nick. I'm alright." Stefania replied.
"Stefania, is everything alright?" Carmine asked.
"Yes, papa." Stefania told him.
"Ooh! The foal is almost out! I repeat the foal is almost out!" Nick's eyes got big.
The howl and growling was heard for the umpteenth time which caused Chiara to buck once more and move aggressively this time.
"Chiara, easy girl. Easy. Easy." Nick told her.
Chiara kept bucking and moving aggressively, getting more and more frightened.
"Easy, Chiara." Stefania petted her in order to get her calm.
"What could be out there that's scaring her so?" Carmine looked outside.
"Either a dog or wolf or even a coyote." Nick told him.
"A wolf, dog, or coyote?" Carmine raised an eyebrow.
"Uh huh. This valley is full of those three. Sometimes a dog comes around, sometimes a coyote, and sometimes a wolf. It all depends." Nick replied.
"Why would one of those come out now?" Stefania asked.
"A dog usually comes whether it needs a home, wants food, or their owner is in trouble. Coyotes and wolves come out to find food only their food is freshly murdered smaller animals and occasionally wounded or dead humans." Nick explained.
"Which do you think it is?" Stefania looked at Nick.
"Well, it can't be a dog, because a dog would not howl or growl. It would bark or whine plus show itself. Coyotes run in packs as do wolves, but a coyote's howl is more high pitched. This howl is not high pitched. A wolf's howl is deep like the one we have been hearing." Nick started putting two and two together.
"A wolf? Oh no! Chiara and her foal-" Carmine was cut off.
"Chiara and her foal will be fine, Carmine. Once I deliver the foal, I'll go out and see where the devil that wolf is then go from there." Nick told him.
"Unh uh. Not without Stefania and me at your side." Carmine replied.
"You're going to go with me?" Nick was surprised.
"You bet, Nick. For all we know, it could be rabid." Carmine told him.
Nick didn't say anything due to the fact that the memory of the time he was bitten by a rabid wolf which made him fall for Julia Jenkins and become a father figure to her son Tommy flashed through his mind. Julia was the other exception to the girls he fell for besides Stefania, of course.
"Nick? Nick? Nick?" Stefania called his name three times.
"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, Stefania." Nick snapped out of his thoughts.
"Do you feel it?" Stefania asked.
"Feel what?" Nick raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know, but I feel a disturbance in the air." Stefania replied before sporting a troubled look on her face.
"A disturbance in the air?" Nick asked.
"Yes. I just feel a great disturbance all of a sudden." Stefania nodded.
"Well, with what all has happened, I can see why. I mean masked men terrorize your mother and sister, chase your sister and Nadine, destroy the church, torment Audra, shoot a priest, and kidnap your nieces & Nadine's siblings, so I can see where you sense the disturbance." Nick told her.
"Well, that's part of it, but the other part is something that is going on right now, Nick." Stefania still had her troubled look.
"The wolf lurking about probably adds to it. Well, that and Chiara's breech." Nick nodded.
"That, too but there's more." Stefania looked at nothing in particular.
"With everything that has already happened, what more could come?" Nick asked.
*Back at the fire*
Heath, Violet, and Julissa were still battling the flames with no help from anyone else as of yet.
"You would think somebody would come now!" Violet said as she returned with another bucket of water and threw it on more flames.
"You would, but people must be scared of fire." Julissa shrugged.
"Boy howdy! Every time we put out some flames, more seem to be popping up!" Heath wiped sweat off of his forehead.
"I hope tat (that) Daphne and Eugene are alright." Julissa sighed.
"I'm sure they are, Julissa. I mean Eugene has the Barkley stubbornness, so odds are, he'll return to help us fight this fire. Daphne is most likely resting and recupering." Heath threw water on more flames before walking out to get more.
"Yeah, but Eugene won't cut it in regards to help. More people better start showing up. We can't continue this fight alone." Violet shook her head.
"If Valery was here, he'd help us in this situation." Julissa went outside to refill her bucket.
"Same with Nunzio and...Jarrod." Violet's voice began to break.
"Don't worry, we'll find them. I know we will." Heath said in a comforting voice.
Flames blew towards Violet.
"Watch out!" Heath pulled her away from the flames and took a few deep breaths before looking at her, "You alright?"
"Yes, Heath. A little frazzled, but fine." Violet nodded.
"Violet, if I may ask, when did you become Jarrod's secretary? My family and I knew he had one named Esther." Heath asked.
"A few months ago. I was Esther's assistant prior to all of it." Violet started.
"Do you know what happened to Esther?" Heath was curious.
"She retired after finding out that-" Violet paused after she started coughing due to the thick smoke filling the air.
*Back at Barkley Ranch*
Daphne and Eugene had since arrived back at the ranch and were in the living room.
"Daph, let's get you to the couch." Eugene said as he and Daphne walked over to the couch.
"Eugene, ve (we) have to find my cousin! Ve (We) need to return to zhat (that) fire!" Daphne insisted.
"Daph, you heard the doctor and we already agreed that you would rest while I headed back which I am going to do after you get settled." Eugene gently reminded her.
"I know, but I'm shcared (scared)!" Daphne looked into his eyes, "Not only of losing Dieter, but losing you too!"
"Daph, I'm the son of Victoria and the late Tom Barkley. I have the Barkley stubbornness and toughness within me. I'll be alright, but I appreciate your concern." Eugene smiled.
Daphne smiled back at him and rubbed his right cheek with her hand.
"I'll make it back safely, I promise and I won't stop until I find Dieter." Eugene told her.
"Please, Eugene. You see, Dieter iz (is) all I have left for family. After my moder (mother) and fader (father) died, Dieter's fader (father) my uncle Heinrich and his moder (mother) my aunt Magdalena took care of me. Zhen (Then) vhen (when) zhey (they) died, Dieter took care of me until I vas (was) 18. Dieter has alvays (always) been like a big broder (brother) to me. He vas (was) alvays (always) zhere (there) vhen (when) nobody else vas (was). He means zhe (the) vorld (world) to me, Eugene. He use to call me "Butterblume" vhich iz (which is) German for "Buttercup" and I use to call him "großer Bruder", "Papi", and "Wächter" vhich are German for "big brother", "dad or daddy", and "guardian" vhich he vas all of zhe above for me while I vas growing up." Daphne explained.
"He was to you what Jarrod is to my siblings and me." Eugene nodded.
"Vhat do you mean?" Daphne asked.
"Since he is the eldest and for some of us he stepped into the role after father died, my siblings and I call Jarrod "Pappy". It is similiar to "papi" just different spelling of course." Eugene told her.
"I recall you and Nick calling him "pappy" at times." Daphne recognized the term and got a smile on her face.
"Jarrod is the best pappy. He always knows what to say, when to say it, how to say it, and just all of that stuff. He's always had that authority-like figure aura about him. He always stepped in to help mother and take care of us when father was away hence why he fit right into the role after father died. Even when father was alive, he saw Jarrod's pappy side in action and was so proud that he knew whenever he had to leave, while mother was the boss of the house, Jarrod was "pappy" to the rest of the Barkley children as they needed that figure and mother needed help." Eugene's smile grew wider as he fondly remembered those days.
"So, in other vords, your fader knew everyzhing vas in good hands vhen he left, right?" Daphne asked.
"Exactly, Daph." Eugene nodded.
"Zhat vas zhe same vith (with) Dieter. Vhenever uncle Heinrich vould leave, Dieter filled his shoes and was basically his shecond (second) in command or man of zhe houshe (house). It vas zhat vay in Austrian housheholds (households). Dieter vas man of zhe houshe (house) and disciplinarian, too vhen uncle Heinrich vasn't around. Aunt Magdalena and I respected zhat. Well, she did more so zhan (than) I did at times, but zhat's a shtory (story) for another time." Daphne chuckled a little.
"Oh my word! That was Jarrod's position, too and that makes three of us. Like you with Dieter, there were times Nick and I didn't always do as Jarrod asked. There were times he had to discipline us. To this day, Jarrod still has his hands full with Nick." Eugene started to laugh, "That's if mother doesn't at times and if father didn't when he was alive."
"Oh, Nick! He shtill (still) hasn't changed, has he?" Daphne shook her head.
"Nope. Still as hot headed as ever and still falling for girls as always. As of now, it looks like he is going steady with a lovely lady named Stefania." Eugene replied.
"Shtefania (Stefania)? I thought he vas vith Fatima." Daphne raised an eyebrow.
"Nope. He and Fatima went their separate ways as did he and Hester plus many other girls to follow." Eugene told her, "However, Stefania is not like Fatima, Hester, or any of the other girls he got sweet on. She's a lovely lady."
"Iz (Is) Stefania zhe daughter of that short tempered man we encountered earlier?" Daphne asked.
"Do you mean Carmine Mangano?" Eugene asked.
"Ja (Yes)." Daphne nodded.
"Oh yes. Carmine is very protective of her and I don't know if he still feels this way, but for a while, he didn't think Nick was worthy of his daughter." Eugene explained.
"I hope Stefania isn't like her fader." Daphne said.
"Oh no. She and her father from what I have heard and seen to a degree, are like night and day in the personality department." Eugene told her.
"Zhat's good. Vell, I hope to meet Stefania soon." Daphne replied.
"Oh you will, Daph. You will and like Julissa and Violet, she may also become another good friend to you. However, as of right now, you best be resting while I go back to the bakery, help put out that fire, and find Dieter." Eugene patted her shoulder before standing up.
"As much as I don't vant you to leave, because I vas having fun catching up on a lot since we parted vays, Dieter's shafety (safety) comes first and I hope you find him. I really do. I can't lose him or you!" Daphne held onto Eugene's hand very tightly.
"Don't think about that, Daph. I'm not going anywhere and neither will Dieter. I know I'll find him safe and sound. I just know it." Eugene told her.
"I hope so, Eugene." Daphne said before kissing his hand.
Eugene got a surprised look on his face and started to blush, clearly taken aback by Daphne kissing his hand.
"Go now, Eugene. Heaven help you." Daphne told him.
Eugene nodded then left.
"I love you." Daphne said, not realizing Eugene just shut the door behind him.
Audra, who was coming downstairs to get another cloth for Nadine, stopped in her tracks when she recognized Daphne and heard her utter those three magic words.
"I shtill do." Daphne whispered to herself before turning around and gasping when she and Audra locked eyes.
*Back at the Mangano household*
"Nick, don't say that, because you never know!" Carmine warned.
"That's true and I don't want to jinx anything." Nick nodded in agreement.
Chiara started snorting and moved her head up and down.
"Do you have her foal?" Stefania asked.
"Yes and a lot of blood. In fact, the foal is almost out as I've said before." Nick told her before looking down, "Hey! I have two of the legs so far!"
"Definitely a breech." Carmine said before looking into Chiara's eyes and petting her head, "Our poor bambina."
"Yes sir, this baby may be entering the world backwards, but he or she will have a lovely life to look forward to from here on out." Nick gently pulled out the two legs, "Okay, the two legs are out. Now, for the whole baby."
Chiara neighed and snorted before pawing the ground.
"We know, baby. We know. We know it hurts, but you'll be relieved soon enough. We promise." Stefania petted Chiara some more.
"That's right, Chiara. Your baby is almost here." Nick nodded as he continued to pull the foal out as gently as he could.
Chiara snorted for the third time and bucked once more.
"Easy, Chiara. Easy, honey." Carmine told her.
"Whoa, Chiara. Whoa! Whoa, girl! Stay still. I now have the back half of your foal out and need you to stay still so the rest of him or her can enter the world." Nick was now holding the back end of Chiara's foal.
"You do?" Stefania's voice started to break.
"I sure do and I'll have the rest of him or her out if Chiara stays still." Nick smiled and nodded.
"Chiara, honey, stay incredibly still. Your foal is almost here. You're almost a mama." Carmine said before turning to Nick, "I hope this won't be like her last breech."
"I hope not either, but we shall see what happens." Nick told him.
Pretty soon, Chiara looked as if she was starting to relaxed which indicated that the pain of foaling was over. This was confirmed when Nick pulled out a blood and slime covered figure out of her, falling onto his behind in the process and panting. Seeing the relaxed look in Chiara's eyes and sensing she was at ease, Carmine looked over her neck.
"Nick, Chiara looks like she is at ease. Is the foal-" Carmine was cut off.
"Y-Yes. Yes, they are here. The foal...is officially...here." Nick was still trying to get his breath.
"Is it a filly or a colt?" Carmine asked.
To Be Continued...
Audra: Daphne? Daphne, is that you? How have you been?
Heath: Boy howdy, I wish help was on the way! We can't keep at these flames with just the three of us!
Violet: We must find Jarrod, Nunzio, Valery, and Dieter among many others.
Nick: It's...It's...
Stefania: Nick, is everything alright?
Nadine: What's happening?
Carmine: R&R, everybody. R&R.