3.21 Not Again

Author's Note: I apologize for skipping Irissa's graduation and Quentin's wedding. Every time I went to write about those events I came up blank. Instead of forcing a chapter that wouldn't in the end move the story forward not mention I had no inspiration for it I elected to move on. Both events are briefly mentioned again I apologize if anyone is disappointed that they didn't get more attention.

Heath stood staring at the blank canvas mind anywhere but on his work. The past four months had been busy. They had stayed in Moonlight Falls longer then they planned. They had gone for Irissa's graduation. Stayed for Quentin's wedding three months later. It had been great being with the family again. Being a part of their lives. Sighing softly Heath stepped away from the painting he was working on. Back in Dragon Valley he felt the same old feelings of isolation rising up inside him.

"Babe what's wrong?" Don asked from the nearby computer.

"Nothing" he mumbled raking a hand through his hair.

"Are you worried about Kimberly's first day of school?" Don asked keeping his voice gentle, soothing like he was talking to a skittish horse.

"Yes, no. I mean...." his voice faded replaced with confusion "I don't know. I just feel off."

"Missing your family?" Don asked getting up and pulling Heath to him "the offer still stands. We can move to Moonlight Falls."

"Thank you" Heath relaxed into Don's embrace "I appreciate the offer but you're family is here. I can't ask you to move just because of me."

"Babe you wouldn't be making me do anything I wouldn't want to do. I've seen the light in your eyes diminish and go out since we got back." Don kissed his neck right behind the ear. Breathing lightly on his skin ruffling his hair. "You more than me need to be close to their family."

"It's not like I don't have family here," he tried to break free from Don's embrace. Suddenly feeling trapped "I'm sorry I'm so pathetic..."

"You're not..." Don began only to be cut off by the angry almost hostile look Heath gave him. He let his arms drop limp to his sides "I'm sorry. It's just that I don't see you that way."

"What do you see?" Heath asked his voice vibrated with suppressed anger while his eyes were pleading.

"I see someone I love who's in pain," Don took a step closer to where Heath stood arms crossed "I see someone who was forced to grow up too quick. Someone who is unsure of himself and his strength. You are stronger than you think you are. Even at your weakest you never compromised who you are. More then once I relied upon your strength when I had nothing else to give. You kept me going in the bubble universe."

"How can you think I'm strong? All I am is a pathetic mess who feels lost without his dad." His eyes bulged at his admission. His dad was his anchor, his support. "I'm sorry," he stammered.

"Sorry for what?" Don asked his voice gentle. He took a step closer growing concerned as Heath stepped backwards into the wall behind him. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I love you. I know you love me. I'm willing to wait for you to figure out how you feel. If being near your family so you can talk to your dad I'm willing to do that." Standing close to him with mere inches separating them he stopped "I love you Heath. I love all of you including foibles and strengths."

Breathing deeply of the pine scent he always associated with Don he looked into Don's eyes. Saw the steady honest gage and the love shining crystal clear in his light blue eyes. Leaning forward he pressed his lips against Don's soft pliable mouth. "I love you," he murmured "more than I can say." He pressed harder against Don as if he wanted to prove how much.

***

About a month later Kimberly came  home from school. Heath had been pacing the floor in the kitchen followed closely by Lillianna in her walker. She giggled each time she bumped into him thinking it was a game. "Daddy funny" she announced when he stopped to rub his shins. He looked up relieved when Kimberly walked in smiling. "How was your day?" he asked.

Sitting her stuff down she looked up at him saying "I hate school." She laughed up at him a bundle of contradictions "I love the kids. A couple might even become friends but I still hate school."

"Why?" he asked confused. He never like school. He never had the knack of making friends easily but he loved to learn. 

"It's too easy" she complained "I know all the answers. It's boring" she drawled out the word "do I have to go back?"

"Yes you do" Don said having come into the room when he heard his daughter come home.

"But dad the teacher hates me..."

Don looked at her sternly. Lifting his eyes to Heath shaking his head slightly indicating for Heath not to say anything. "Kimberly your teacher called me. I know what you did...."

She looked down pulling on her fingers "I'm sorry" she offered.

Heath looked down at his daughter than back to Don. He had been all for jumping to his little girl's defense. Mentally chastising himself he turned his attention to his daughter "What did you do?"

"Dad already knows," she protested sitting down at the table.

"That's not the point," Heath said sitting across from her at the table.

She stared at him before heaving a dramatic sigh. "I disrupted class. At least that's the word the teacher used among others. She also calls me annoying know it all, pest, spoiled brat, evil spawn of homo's and" her mouth opened to continue when she shut it abruptly "I'm sorry daddy."

"Does she call you names in front of the whole class?" Heath asked looking at her. It was one thing to get in trouble for disrupting class but it's another thing for the teacher to be calling any of her students names. 

"Yes daddy," she murmured "she does it all the time. Why should I be good when she's so mean?"

"Her bad behavior is not an excuse for your bad behavior" Don said sitting next to Heath "we'll talk to your teach. For now I want you to behave and do what the teacher tells you."

"But...."

"No buts young lady. You know better" he gave her a stern look.

"Alright I'll try. She makes me so mad" she said opening her book "i have some vocabulary words to work on." She poured over the list obviously hoping her parents would drop the subject.

"Do you want some help?" Heath asked more to spend time with her than any belief she needed any help.

Nodding "sure daddy" she smiled up at him giving him list "lets see if I can remember the definitions when you say the words."

As the became immersed in homework Don watched them with a worried expression. He hadn't expected this kind of prejudice; especially not in Dragon Valley. He wondered if Gwen was experiencing the same kind of treatment since they were in the same class. Getting up he walked into the bedroom closing the door behind him. "Hey Kyle how's everything?"

There was a pause while Kyle walked into another room to speak. "Sorry about that but I wanted to talk in private. I was going to call you anyway to see if Kimberly has been experiencing ill treatment from her teacher."

"That's what I was calling about" Don confirmed "I take it Gwen has been called names by the teacher too."

"Yeah. She comes home in tears almost everyday. It's really starting to concern me. It's one thing to discipline a child because they're misbehaving but it's unnecessary to call them names. There's something wrong with the teacher if that's the way she deals with kids."

"What really concerns me is her disdain for their parents" Don sighed into the phone "I don't appreciate my daughter being called evil spawn of homo's because of her parents sexual orientation."

"Neither do I" Kyle agreed. He lowered his voice as he added "the most disturbing thing is their teacher is my brothers ex-wife."

"So this could be a personal vendetta" Don scowled at the thought "I really don't like the sound of that."

"Neither do I" Kyle admitted "I don't dare tell Elliot. He's already upset enough over this he doesn't need this worry on top of it."

"I have the same concern with Heath. They're both likely to go off half cocked and make things worse" Don agreed "how about you and I go in and talk to this woman before things get any worse?"

"Ok" Kyle agreed hesitating.

"What's wrong?" 

"I don't know. It's just the idea that my ex-sister-in-law could be working for my father..."

"I hadn't thought of that....I guess the sooner we confront her the better." Don said "we'll go tomorrow."

"Ok" Kyle agreed "I'll meet you there."

***

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to see Kim's teacher? Heath asked sitting on the edge of the bed staring at his partner in a mixture of anger and disappointment. He shrugged off Don's hand as he reached out to comfort him.

"Babe I'm sorry I thought..."

"I know what you thought," Heath stood up walking away running his hands through his hair. "You thought I couldn't handle it. That I'd explode and make things worse." He wheeled around pointing at Don "isn't that it?

Rolling out of bed Don approached Heath. Reached out and put his hands on his partners shoulders. "Kyle and I thought we could handle it. We didn't want to worry you or Elliot..."

Hanging his head Heath took a step back from Don letting his hands fall from his shoulders. "We're supposed to be partners. Sharing in the good and the bad things. I don't need protecting. I need to be treated like an equal."

Running his hand through his hair that he was letting grow out some Don swallowed his first angry words. Heath was right. When had he started to treat Heath like his child then his equal, his partner? He shifted his gaze looking around the room "I'm sorry," he murmured taking a step forward. "You have every right to be upset. I should have told you. You should have come with me." Heath turned around watching him, listening. Don saw the tension release in Heath's shoulders, the lifting of he frown lines. "I promise to do better in the future."

Heath smiled taking a step forward towards Don closing the gap between them "apology accepted." He pulled him close to him feeling Don wrap his arms around him "tell me how it went," he requested after several minutes of silence elapsed between them.

Taking Heath's hand he led him to the bed where they sat before he spoke "I didn't accomplish much other than a grudging admission that she shouldn't be calling the kid's names."

"So her ill treatment of our daughter will probably continue," Heath said his voice cold, angry "if it does I will talk to the principle. I won't tolerate this kind of behavior."

"Nor will I" Don assured him putting an arm around him "I have a feeling this teacher isn't here to teach anyway..."

Looking at him in confusion Heath asked "what makes you say that?"

"You'll have to promise not to tell Elliot what I tell you," Don told him looking into his eyes.

"If it's something he should know I can't promise not to tell him," Heath said pulling away from Don.

"I understand. If you feel you need to tell Elliot I won't stop you," Don said looking him in the eye 

"I'm hoping Kyle will tell him." Looking away for a moment to gather his thoughts he said "Kim's teacher is Kyle's ex-sister-in-law."

"Oh" the word escaped from Heath's mouth. He had vague memories of the trial and how Kyle's father had tried to get him declared as unfit to make his own decisions. That was the start of all his nightmares at least of the supernatural kind.

"Yeah" Don agreed "Kyle's afraid that she's working for his dad to find him."

"Why would she do that?" Heath asked "if she's divorced why would she be dealing with her ex-father-in-law?"

"Kyle's brother has cut off all ties with his dad. I guess he wanted a clean start and a new life. His wife didn't agree and elected to stay behind. Kyle suspects she's the new mistress." Don explained.

"It seems to me that Kyle's brother is in as much danger as Kyle is."

"Not really since he can't produce an heir. Only Kyle can...."

Laughing Heath shook his head "I don't understand why that's even important. The dad is an IF he'll live forever and never age. Why is having an heir so important to him?"

"I ....don't know," Don said slowly pondering his words "when does obsession make sense? Which makes him even more dangerous."

"Elliot definitely needs to know this" Heath said "but I'll give Kyle time to tell him." He pulled Don close kissing his cheek "I don't like Kim being so close to that woman."

"Neither do I but I'll be more cautious from now on when the teacher calls to complain about her behavior. After meeting the woman I believe Kim's bad behavior is her attempt to protect Gwen."

***

Another month passed. They received no more calls from the teacher informing them their daughter was misbehaving in class. However the abuse and name calling didn't cease. Kimberly continued to tell them what the teacher said to them. Gwen seemed to be the main target according to Kimberly she only became a target when she took it upon herself to defend Gwen after finding her crying as recess. The two girls had become inseparable.

Glancing at the clock Heath fidgeted with the few dishes in the sink. Where were they? They should have been home an hour ago. As the minutes ticked by he became more and more convinced something was wrong. Taking his phone out he wondered if the girls had become confused and gone to the wrong house. "Hey El are the girls over there?"

"No weren't they going over there?" the lightness in his voice was replaced with a sense of dread.

"I thought maybe they went there first," Heath explained staring at the door hoping it would burst open and two little girls would come bouncing into the room talking a mile a minute.

"Heath," Elliot shouted "are you telling me the girls are missing?"

"I...I..." Heath stammered as the reality sunk in. His daughter was gone...missing. He dropped the phone from his cold numb hand. Not again his mind screamed he would not lose his daughter again.

"Daddy," Lillianna cried sensing something was wrong as  he stumbled past her.

"Don" he yelled coming into the room where Don was typing on the computer "the girls haven't come home..."

"They're probably at Kyle's...." he stood up and moved quickly to Heath's side who was shaking.

"No no no they're not," Heath stammered "I just called Elliot and they're not there either. They're gone."

Some of Heath's shock was seeping into Don's senses as he pulled Heath close and held him as he cried on his shoulder. Where were the girls? Had they gone somewhere alone and lost track of time? Did that awful teacher keep them after class? Did someone take them? Oh god not that! Please not that! Don pleaded to anyone who cared.

***

Kimberly ran up to where Gwen was standing immobilized by the angry glare of the bald man in front of  her. "Gwenie we have to go or we'll miss the bus."

"She's not going anywhere" the man's deep voice sent chills down her spine. It reminded her of thunder it was so harsh and grumbly.

Taking Gwen's hand Kimberly tugged on her arm "come on we have to go. My dads will worry if we're late." Gwen took a couple of steps with her when the man stooped and picked her up. 

Screaming Kimberly launched herself at the large scary man. "Let her go," she swung her fists  at his tree trunk like legs. Her blows bouncing off having little to no effect on him. She looked around in desperation. The buses were all gone. Most of the teachers and other students were out of sight. The only one she saw was her teacher who smiled and closed the door to the class room ignoring their please for help. "Let her go" she demanded again refusing to give up as she followed the bald man to  his car.

The man tossed Gwen into the trunk then snatched Kimberly's wrist as she tried to jump away from him. She realized too late the danger she was in. She should have ran to the principles office for help instead of following him. The man slammed the trunk lid down silencing Gwen's sobs and screams. He dragged Kim towards the car opening the back door. "Let me go" she cried struggling to get free knowing it was too late to escape.

He tossed her to the other side of the car making sure the child proof locks had been thrown before she had the chance to get out. Kimberly curled up into a ball on the seat crying as they man got in the front seat and drove away. Where were they going? Who was this man? Would she ever see her dad's again?