SACRIFICES

by

Kellie Moonlight

The Story

THE CHAPTERS

INTRO

THE STORY

Fenton Hardy looked at the scrunched up bundle that lay in one of the hospital’s many sterile, clear cots.  Who would have thought that something as small as this could fill a person with so much love and happiness: his wife Laura lay asleep on the bed.  This little bundle had not been planned but Fenton knew that given the chance he wouldn’t change a thing; nope, he decided as the child opened his eyes and looked at Fenton, not one thing…  

Later, Fenton would wonder what went wrong, why he took up the profession of being a police officer. It kept him away from home a lot more and he was missing out on so much as little Frankie grew. A lot of strain was brought upon his relationship with Laura; they argued constantly and, well, things just weren’t the same.  God, they both loved Frank to death but the love for each other seemed to be fading. ‘You can fall out of love with a partner, but never with a child;’ that was his saying. He knew many people who followed it but there where some parents…well; the less said about them the better.  

Frank had been born in early November, November 6^th to be exact.  He had been born with a tuft of brown hair and was the spitting image of his Daddy.  When he was born, he didn’t cry, he simply took in his surroundings and when he looked at Fenton and Laura, his eyes lit up and he let out an excited gurgle.  It wasn’t until an hour later that he decided to test his lungs curiously, and boy what a pair he had, his bout of crying had left Fenton wondering just how big babies lungs were.  

Fenton thanked god every day for his son.  Frank was the one person in his life, and Laura agreed with him on this, who had changed everything for the better.   

25 ^th December, Christmas day, or Frank’s first Christmas.  

Fenton Hardy gently picked up his 7 week old son and carefully carried him downstairs; Frank has been fascinated by the colored lights.  

“Do you like those lights, baby?” Fenton asked his young son, softly.  Frank didn’t respond, he just cooed and smiled at his Dad.  Wait… smiled… Fenton smiled to himself and called Laura down, even though the tension was there.  

“What’s wrong?” she asked, worriedly.  

“Frank just smiled,” Fenton replied, smiling himself as he looked her in the eyes.  

“Oh, that’s great,” Laura enthused. Frank seemed to be the only reason Fenton and Laura were still together.  

Some hours later after they had exchanged presents, Fenton found himself wondering, I saw Frank’s first smile, but how many other milestones will I l miss with my job and if the inevitable happens between me and Laura?  

Fenton was still in deep thought when Laura opened the door to allow her parents and Fenton’s parents in to celebrate Christmas with their and latest edition to the family. Joel and Annie Hardy both had brown eyes but whereas Annie stood at around 5’6 had red hair with grey streaks, her style was short and in a bob. Joel’s hair was chocolate brown and graying at the sides.  Laura’s parents, Daniel and Elizabeth Johnson, were both shorter than Fenton’s parents, Daniel stood at around 5’10 whereas Joel stood at around 6’2.  Daniel had blonde hair and green eyes, the opposite of his petite wife who had black hair and blue eyes.  Both sets of grandparents were extremely excited about seeing Frank; they hadn’t had the chance in November as they had been on Holiday .  The planes had been delayed constantly until they had just driven home.  Although neither Fenton nor Laura had mentioned their problems to their parents, Fenton’s dad seemed to sense it and he asked to speak to his son in the kitchen. Once there, they spoke.  

“Is everything OK son?” he questioned, gently.  

Fenton, for a minute, thought about lying and saying everything was fine, but his dad was a cop, just like him.  He knew when people were lying.  

“Not really,” Fenton sighed.  “Don’t get me wrong, dad, Frank’s the best thing that ever happed to me, but since Laura’s on maternity leave, I’m working double shift at the station to support us and pay the bills.  I can sense in the near future I am going to miss many of Frank’s milestones and I don’t want to miss a thing.  Laura and I have been arguing constantly about the hours I am putting in at the station.” Fenton sighed and looked at his dad, silently pleading with him to have the answer to his problems.  

“I don’t want to lose her, dad.” Fenton paused before continuing. “Neither of them.”   

Now that it was out of his system Fenton felt relieved but shocked at the same time.  Although he was shocked that he had said so much, the relief of having it out in the open felt like weight of the world suddenly lifted off his shoulders.  

“Wow,” Fenton’s dad, Joel, sighed in amazement. “Have you sat Laura down and spoken to her about this?”  

“No,” Fenton’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.  “I’m too scared to do that.”  

“Why?  She’s your wife.  What’s to be scared about?” Joel asked, gently.  

“She’s got a temper when she gets going so I just don’t want to take the risk. I love her too much.” Fenton admitted shyly as he looked away from his father.  For a moment, his shoes seemed much more interesting than anything else in the room.  “When she gets angry she says things I know she doesn’t mean and I’m afraid we might end up divorced.”  

Joel Hardy gazed into the eyes that where so much like Fenton’s parents; although Fenton looked more like Joel, he acted more like his mother.  

“Then tell her, Fenton.  The fact that you love her and that you aren’t going to run away with one of those female officers is probably all she needs to hear. I mean, she’s probably scared you don’t want to be tied down with a baby yet.”  

“That’s not right though.  Would I have married her if I wasn’t ready for the commitment?” Fenton asked, confused.  

“That’s something only you may know the answer too, Fenton,” Joe touched his son’s shoulder and smiled.  “If the answer is yes, then tell her.  Let her feel loved.  Today, tomorrow, I don’t care how you do it, but tell her.  Don’t make the same mistake I did with your mother; I’m lucky she forgave me.”  

“I know dad, I heard,” Fenton said, distractedly, his mind focused on something else rather than the early years of his childhood.  

“Make me proud son, don’t lose her.”  

“I won’t, dad; I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her,” Fenton said with a smile.  

Boxing Day  

When Frank was down for his nap in the mid-morning, in the Moses basket in the family room and Laura sat reading a magazine, Fenton sat down with Laura to talk to her about what was on his mind.  

“Laura, can we talk?” he asked, nervously.  

“Sure,” she said, confused. “What about?”  As she said this she leaned toward Fenton, placing the magazine on the coffee table by the sofa.  Laura smiled as she gave him her full attention; he sounded so serious.  

“It’s about us, Laura,” that said, Fenton saw fleeting emotions pass across Laura’s face, one of which showed she was nervous.  

“What about us?” she managed over the lump in her throat.  

“You know as well as I do that we have been arguing a lot more than we used to do.  I know my being away a lot is hard on you and I understand that.  Hey, if you left me alone with Frank for a few days I’d probably be on the phone to you 24-7 asking for advice on one thing or another,” he started seriously but ended with a teasing smile attempting to lighten the mood.  

Laura nodded and then she smiled, although her eyes betrayed the actual nervousness she felt  

“It’s hard, but with me on maternity leave we need all the money we can get.  I really do understand why you’re away a lot; you’re working double shifts to support us.  The only reason that I get so snappy when you’re here is because I know you have to go away again.  I guess that I’m scared you’ll go away, find some young women who’s pretty and run away with her.  Like, you’re not ready for the commitment that comes with having a baby.” As she finished Laura ducked her head as the first tears came.  Seeing this, Fenton moved to sit next to her on the sofa.  He placed an arm around her shoulders and held her close.  

“Laura, I’m not going to run off with some young woman at the police station.  And as for pretty, I only have to look at you and I see the angel God lost when I married you, Laura.  I love you and only you.  Frank was made because I showed you a fraction of the love I feel for you, and I love him as much as I love you,” Fenton said, lovingly.  

“Really?” she asked, tearfully.  

Fenton looked straight into her eyes. “Really,” he answered.  He leaned forward and gently pressed a kiss to her lips… a kiss that showed a long future for the couple.  

“I Love you,” she said, smiling, as tears leaked out of her eyes  

“And I love you to the end of the universe and back,” Fenton glanced at Frank in his Moses basket by the window.  “Both of you.”  

****  

15 months later. 25^th April Laura and Fenton have just got back from the hospital.

Frank is 17months old

Joe is 2 days old  

Frank crept toward his Daddy; he didn’t want to wake the ‘thing’ in his Daddy’s arms ‘cause when it woke up it made noise and a lot of it.  Mommy and Daddy had sat him down a few months ago and told him he was going to have a little brother or sister; he assumed that this thing is his daddy’s arm was his little brother or sister.  

“Daddy?” he asked, quietly.  

“What’s wrong, baby?” Fenton asked, gently.  

“What’s that?” Frank asked, curiously, pointing at the bundle in his daddy’s arms.  

Fenton smiled and patted the seat next to him. Once Frank was settled he let Frank take a closer look at he baby in his arms, “This is your little brother, Joey.” At the sound of his name, or so it seemed to Frank, Joey’s eyes snapped open and he glanced about. The baby didn’t cry, just looked.  Then his eyes fell on Frank and he gurgled.  Frank looked at Joey and then smiled. “He’s cute, daddy, can we keep him?” Frank said, enthusiastically.

Fenton laughed and then ruffled Frank’s hair with his spare hand. “Of course we can, Frank.”  

Frank smiled and touched Joe’s hand. “It’s OK Joey, you go to sleep,” and to Fenton’s amazement Joe did.  

“I’m gonna be the bestest big brother there is,” Frank whispered to his dad.  

“I’m sure you will son, I’m sure you will” Fenton said with a smile.  

Later that night Joe was awake and Fenton found himself trying to will his youngest son to sleep.  As he thought about the last 15 months from when Frank was born, he found a song and wondered how this little child would respond to being sung to sleep and so he sang, the one song he thought fitted the last 15 months.    

I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
While you're far away dreaming
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure

Surprisingly, unlike Frank who just got louder, Joe began to quiet down, and watched his dad quietly as Fenton continued.  

Don't wanna close my eyes
Don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing  

Slowly, Fenton started to rock backwards and forwards to the beat he knew so well, he’d taken Laura to see the film Armageddon in ’98 when it first came out, and for some reason the song just fitted.

Laying close to you feeling your heart beating
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming
Wondering if it's me you're seeing
Then I kiss your eyes
And thank God we're together
I just wanna stay with you in this moment forever
Forever and ever  

“It’s ironic that 15 months after everything, this song’s only just come to me,” Fenton thought, smiling.

Don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing  

Joe’s eyes dropped shut as he fell asleep but still Fenton continued, quietly unaware of the watching eyes from the doorway.
I don't wanna miss one smile
I don't wanna miss one kiss
I just wanna be with you
Right here with you, and just like this
I just want to hold you close
Feel your heart so close to mine
And just stay here in this moment
For all the rest of time  

Fenton looked up and smiled at Laura in the doorway as she walked in and kissed his cheek as he continued.

Don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing

Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
I don't want to miss a thing  

Once he was finished and Joe was back in his cot, Laura kissed him again, “That was beautiful,” she whispered so as not to wake Joe.  

“It’s everything I wanted to say on Boxing Day, Frank’s first Christmas, and it’s everything that I want you and the boys to know now.” He responded, tearfully.  

17 years later  

Blonde hair and blue eyed Joe Hardy skimmed through the cd collection looking for a particular song, he’d had a dream the night before.  He told Frank about it; the dream was about a man singing to him, but he, himself in the dream had only been an infant.  Frank was the opposite of looks having inherited the Brown hair and eyes from his dad.  

“Any luck?” Joe asked curiously as he skimmed the back of a cd.  

“Nope, any idea’s how the song went.”  

“Something like I don’t wanna close my eyes, I don’t wanna fall asleep cause I’d miss you baby, and I don’t wanna miss a thing.”  

“That’s Aerosmith Joe, Dad’s got their greatest hits album, ask him for it,” Frank said smiling.  

“Okay,” with that, Joe headed of to his dad’s office and knocked on the door.  

“Dad, you got a minute?” he asked.  

“Sure, Joe,” came the reply. “Come on in.”  

As Joe entered the familiar office he glanced at his dad and smiled, “Just wondering if you had the Aerosmith album.”  

“Sure,” Fenton pulled it off a shelf.  “May I enquire as to why?”  

Joe explained about the dream and asked if his dad knew anything about it.  

“Sure Joe, that was me who sang it to you.  The months after Frank was born, your mother and I had a lot of problems - nothing to do with Frank - just a ‘rough patch.’  A few days after you were born, you were awake a lot during the night and one night I sang that song to you to get you to sleep,” Fenton said, thoughtfully.  

“Wow,” Joe murmered in amazement. “It’s ironic that the song only came to you then.”  

“I know, but let me tell you something. ‘I don’t wanna miss a thing’ is a song that represents how I felt then and now.”  

As Joe headed out of the office he smiled as he realised what his dad meant by that statement.  

“Dad?”  

“Yes?”  

“Frank and I love you too,” Joe said, gently.  

Fenton looked up as Joe closed the door.  Quickly he wiped a tear away, stood up, and headed out the door.  He saw Joe and Frank in the living room putting the cds away.  

“Boys,” Fenton said huskily over the lump in his throat.  

Both Frank and Joe stood up as Fenton came over to them.  No words were needed as they both hugged their dad, knowing they were blessed to have a father like him and Fenton felt blessed with his sons.  

END.

I don’t want to miss a thing.  Armageddon soundtrack.

Written by Diane Warren.

Performed by Aerosmith.

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