Chapter 1

The train pulled into the station in a hiss of steam, all those around me grabbed their bags excitedly and hurried to get off, I could hear the cheers of the waiting crowds, they weren't for me though, they were waiting for their warriors, their heroes, I was neither.

It took about ten minutes before the guard came in checking the carriages,

"We stop here sir" he said kindly, "You have to leave"

"Yes" I said and smiled weakly, Have you ever not wanted to go home?"

He looked at me for a second or two and then reached up for my kit bag, "Come with me sir".

Obediently, I was used to taking orders, I got up and followed him down through the empty carriages to the guards van, he pulled out a bottle of Scotch and two tin mugs from a cupboard and poured out two generous measures.

"Cheers" he said as he sat down. "Kick me"

"Pardon?"

"I said kick me, kick my leg"

I tasted the whisky, the first in four years and lashed out with my right foot.

There was a clang and he laughed,

"Dunkirk" he said sadly, "I didn't want to go home then, but my wife cried when she saw me, "You're back" she kept saying, "You've come back to me"

"I was taken prisoner"

"I know" he said, "I can see it in your eyes"

"The last letter I got, before I was taken, she said she was pregnant, I've got a kid"

"Go home sir, go home and meet your child"

"I'm scared,. What if she's found someone else?"

"It happens" he said softly, "Meet it, face it and deal with it, you and me fought a war, we have the right to know, I'll come with you if you like"

"You'd come with me?"

"Gladly"

"Why?"

"I just told you, we fought a war, we help each other, where do you live?"

"Penge, south London, but thank you, you've given me the strength to go home"

Stepping off the train,. I looked around at the almost deserted platform, a woman turned forlornly and then stopped and looked round, she held the hand of a little girl, slowly they began to walk towards me, I walked towards them,

"Frank" the woman screamed, "Frank" and then they began running, she was crying as she ran into my arms, I was crying and the little girl cried because her mummy was crying.

It took an age for us to speak as we clung to each other,

"Say hello to Poppy your daughter" she smiled,

"Are you my daddy?"

I looked at the heart shaped birth mark on her wrist and nodded,.

"Yes my darling, I'm your daddy"

"Mummy says you've got a mark like mine"

"Yes it's exactly the same and in the same place as yours"

"You made my mummy cry"

"I cried too sweetheart"

"Why?"

"Because I sometimes thought I'd never see mummy again, or you"

"But you don't know me"

"Oh yes I do, your name's Poppy Brown, you're four and a half and I think that apart from your mummy, you're the prettiest girl in the world"

She looked up at me with the biggest bluest eyes I'd ever seen and then threw her arms around my legs, I picked her up and held her tightly, she smelled of soap, her hair smelled of shampoo and she squealed with laughter as I rubbed her face with my unshaven chin.

Just then a voice behind me said, "Oh ye of little faith" and the guard winked as he walked past.

"Is that man your friend daddy?" Poppy asked, but my wife interrupted,

"I think so darling, now can I borrow daddy for a minute please, mummy's like hugs too you know"

Her lips were as I'd remembered them, soft and full, she gave them to me completely and I tasted her tears.

"Why didn't you get off until then?"

"I was scared, I thought maybe you might have found someone else"

"Is that what he meant, the guard?"

"Yes, he gave me a glass of whisky"

"To give you courage?" she asked with a smile,

"Yes"

"Was it really bad?"

"Thinking about you two was the worst"

"Frank let me tell you something, I must get this out of the way before we can move on"

"Ok" but my heart stopped, I was dreading her next words,

"When I heard you'd been shot down, I thought my life had stopped, I already knew I was pregnant, I cried, I prayed, I even thought about killing myself and then the Red Cross informed me you were alive and well I was overjoyed, mum and dad too, dad settled a large amount of money on me and bought me a house, for us three Frank, I've spent the last four years bringing up this little treasure and waiting for my man to come home"

"Am I a little treasure daddy?"

I felt a lump in my throat as I picked my daughter up and hugged her,

"Absolutely darling" I said softly, but Laura hadn't finished yet,

"No one else Frank" she was almost in tears again, "Not even close to it"

I looked at her for a long minute and I saw the pain in her eyes,

"I love you" It came out as a whisper so I cleared my throat to say it again but a finger on my lips stopped me and I felt her lips at my ear,

"Save it Frank darling, save it for when we're in bed"

She'd been eighteen when me and my Spitfire plunged into the water just off the French coast, but she was a woman now, a beautiful, confident woman.

The taxi dropped us off outside her parent's house after trundling through the bomb damaged streets of London and Poppy ran squealing into her grandmother's open arms,

"I'm staying here for a few days daddy" she laughed, "Mummy says you want some time alone"

Laura blushed prettily and smiled as her mother kissed me,