"Stay here with Ace, I'll be back soon." Rhett said, glancing at his son seated on the backseat. His hand resting on the stirring wheel of the car.
Rhean about to unstrap the seatbelt of the booster seat, paused his motion. Without waiting for his respond, he saw Rhett opening the door and stepping out the Jeep.
"But, I want to go too." He mumbled to himself.
Which didn't go unheard by Ace on the passenger's seat, engaged in his cellphone.
He glanced at the rectangular rearview mirror, the child's pouting face reflecting in it.
His lips curved up; he thought Rhean's cute.
An adorable small version of his impossibly grumpy... scary leader Czar.
"Don't be sad little guy, your dad'll come back in a jiffy." He reasured, glued back to the bright screen again, thumbs driving a diversion of adventure—not at rest, the clashing sounds mingled with the jingles of crickets and zings of frogs in the monsoon.
They were before Elk's classic white cape cod house, with a steep pitch roof made with cedar shingles—the colour grey and white frolicking a pixel art of the awning.
But it looked black now, for the darkness had already succumbed the day, the sky bare of moon and stars.
The only illumination was the lights filtrating the surround, the grass in the lawn freshly mowed, looming large trees surrounding the area, a garden of plants well cherished.
Rhean's little fist gripped the seatbelt, fiddling with it.
His big round eyes peering with anticipation at the entrance door. After he was found, he was taken straight to the hospital, but the old doctor with big, scruffy greying beard told him he was fine, and just a bit malnourished.
He freshened up, and put on new warm clothes, then he had dinner with his father, and his friend Ace.
On the road to their hospital, Sky had gotten off and took a cab home. While Zoro was taken to a veterinary hospital for a check-up.
His legs dangling, moving back and forth restlessly, grazing the front seats.
After deliberating a long moment, he finally peeled off the seatbelt—and reached for the door. He jumped down, only to splatter specks of mud on himself. Looking down, there was a sludge in the softened ground, water pooled from a heavy rain.
He pursed his lips at the ruination of his new shoes and clothes.
Fisting up his pants, with long strides he headed to the house, his path a zig–zag, attempting to only step on the arider part.
"Yes!!" Ace yelled, a hand holding the phone, the other gesturing a fist of cheer of win to himself.
His face bright, he looked over his shoulder to glance behind, his features instantly withdrawing to a frown at the empty space.
Franticly searching through the window, he caught a glimpse of the short tiny frame peeking his head through the entrance door.
Ace huffed, scoffing after.
"The kid dared not listen to me?" Slipping in the cellphone in his jeans, he stepped out the car. "And that is why," he rebuked, "I will always hate kids." He shut the door.
---
"It's good that you found him." Elk said to Rhett—packing Rhean's clothes, while he stood at the door of Rhean's room.
Rhett didn't respond to him, continuously gathering the boy's clothes from the wardrobe, stuffing them down on the suitcase.
He scanned the room, he went on to get some toys from the storage box, school supplies and every other necessities, until the suitcases were crammed and couldn't even be zipped up without force.
Elk sighed, "Look, I know I've let you down, but it's lame to move everything out. He'll have to come back after few days anyway."
"He's never coming back." Rhett remarked and straightened up.
He gripped the luggages and wheeled them along the floor.
Elk forrowed his brows, his face drawn in suspicion.
"What do you mean? Where would he stay if you go out for duty?"
Rhett glanced down at him. "You'll get my resignation letter tomorrow." He said, towering before a befuddled Elk.
"Move." He stared down at his stiff Boss blocking the doorway.
Elk ceasing his senses shifted away, making way for him. With a distressed sigh out his mouth, he trailed his gaze at Rhett heading for the stairs.
He followed Rhett down the stairs, and called when he reached the end of stairs to the living room.
"Wait a minute Czar!"
Rhett halted.
"You're not in your right mind!" He stated in a rigid, unimontional tone.
"Prepare for work by next week. Hopefully you'll gather your fanciful brains by then."
"Does shame not get through your thick skull?" Rhett glowered at him.
Elk winced, his nostrils flaring—a blinding wave of hot dizziness slicing through his head.
"For God sake Czar get your act together! It's not a fantasy with only you and your damned wife against the world!" A frustrated Elk rambled on crudely, his tongue sharp and slippery.
"You've had me with your crooked pretense. Now that you've quit acting and scorned my reason to stay. I'm out of your games." Rhett lampooned, proceeding to amble accross.
Elk scoffed, "You think you can find her without the agency's assets? She's dead and is still adamant on ruining you!" "Enough!" Rhett's hands turned white at how hard he was clenching the grip on the luggages.
Elk scoffed at him, unbothered.
"Not another word." He warned, bloodshot eyes glaring at Elk.
"Dada," a small, weak voice wafted, cutting through the strained air in the room.
The two men turned to Rhean standing by the door, glancing between them worriedly. His legs tautened in scare.
Rhett sighed. His body loosening.
"Come on, we're leaving." He motioned with his gaze to tread out.
"I want to say goodbye to grandpa." He said, his eyes on the two large suitcases.
Whenever his father came home, they would spend time together on their apartment.
And there would never be too much baggage to pack, for most of the days he would be with grandpa and a caretaker when he's away.
"Be quick." Rhett returned.
Flowering a smile on Rhean's features. Softening his heart. His hardened stare.
"Okay." Rhean exclaimed, fast little legs running towards a now smiling Elk.
"Where did you go you cub?!" Elk scolded, arms crossed over his chest.
"I'm sorry Grandpa. I missed you." Rhean drawled, grinning innocently. Elk scoffed, the sparkling eyes making him chuckle after. "You little rascal," bending forward, he pinched his chubby cheek—immediately taking him up in his arms.
"Good gracious, you've lost a chunk of fat!" Elk exclaimed, making giggles spill out of a brightened Rhean.
"Then next time, you have to feed me this much strawberry ice–creams!" Rhean remarked, his arms spread about as far as he could go—describing how much he loved ice–creams.
"Such a glutton!" Elk shook his head. His smile turning shallow at a realisation.
The lost: his sweet giggles, his warm presence, perhaps will never adorn this house of life and colour anymore.
"It's getting late Rhean." Rhett declared, holding the door open.
Ace came following behind Rhean, whom he had send back to the car with the luggages.
"Yes Dada." Rhean replied, shuffling his body to slide down.
Elk reluctantly let him on the floor. Bending down to his height, locked gaze with him, observing him lovingly, yet strictly.
"Listen my child, don't you pull this trick ever again. You get me? You really had me killed by your father there." He put forth, his voice softened but serious.
Rhean nodded his head, regretting his reckless actions. Tiny fingers fiddling. He wondered; if his dissapearance was the reason his dada and grandpa fought, but he didn't voiced his ponders out.
"Good." Elk muttered, ruffling his hair.
The child looked up at him, a foolishly warm smile in his beautiful features.
"Now go. Don't stay up late." He gestured at Rhett waiting, his eyes dimmed and features grim at his shadowy frame.
"Bye–bye." Rhean walking towards his father turned to look back at him, waving at him.
"Bye-bye, my child." Elk whispered, waving back at the boy who was the only reason his home was warm. He swallowed, throat searing, heart heavy and aching, eyes blurry comprehending the happy boy walking out of his home—holding his father's hand.
Czar had taken his revenge. He punished him with this numbness, hollowness in his soul. He was a tease, gifting him the sunshine for just a wishful wink of a dream.
But what do he do now?
Rhean felt his own; yet he could never rival against the sway over; the bond of blood and flesh a father had with his son.
So he just sniffed, tears he thought had dried decades ago, a drop flowing.
Did he not have a heart?
Stealing him without any mercy, when it was him who raised Rhean while he was—is still madly searching for a woman, who's presence was futile. Hopeless.
Czar was destroying himself.
And God forbid his blessings—the loved ones he had, left around with.
And this made a sudden regret blacken his heart. Knowing Czar, Rhean will never be allowed here anymore.
He would, probably not even see him again.
As Rhett's securing the seatbelt on Rhean—half of his body dipped inside the car that's when the boy gasped in horror.
Glancing up at him, Rhett raised a brow at his saddened expression. "What's the matter?"
"I forgot to tell grandpa about Zoro." Rhean replied frowning. Then he shook his head, his appearance kindled again.
"I'll just surprise him with Zoro later." He said and grinned artlessly at Rhett.
Briskly pulling and checking the seatbelt to be sure it's well fitted, he glanced at Rhean for the last time.
And without uttering anything else, he closed the door and settled on the driver's seat.
Rhean didn't have to know, not tonight.
He won't ever be placing his foot on Elk's property anymore.