Reason For Vengeance (Dark Vengeance Book 1) by Adrian D Roberts Page B

it herself last time she was home.  There was no way she could quantify how much of Daphne’s life she had missed.  It would be impossible for Daphne and Tom to tell her everything in the two weeks she had, until she needed to report back aboard the Furioso.
    “My darling,” Valerie said.  “How I’ve missed you.”
    Daphne looked up from the hug and gazed at her mother with her big blue eyes.  “I’ve missed you too, Mummy.” 
    Valerie held her daughter out in front of her easily with her hands under Daphne’s armpits.  “Have you been growing again on me?”
    “Yep,” the blonde girl replied with a massive smile on her face.  “I’m taller than Melia now and I beat her one on one.”  Daphne was referring to the Captain of her Flyball team.
    “Wow, did you make Striker then?”
    “Yep,” she answered proudly.  “Coach put me in for the final.”
    “It’s a good thing I made it home in time then.”
    “We’re all very glad you did.”  A deep male voice said.  Valerie turned and saw her tall, dark haired husband, with Bobbie sat on his broad shoulders.
    “Mummy!”  Bobbie cried out, unknowingly echoing his older sister.
    “What do you say, Tom?”  Valerie asked her husband.  “Want to swap?”
    “I’ve got a better idea,” he said with a grin, engulfing Valerie and Daphne in a big hug.  His long, strong arms gathering them both to him, with Bobbie perched on his shoulders.  The four of them stayed there for a time, losing themselves in the satisfaction of being together as a family.  It didn’t take long for Bobbie to begin squirming as only a four year old can.  Valerie and Tom separated, both smiling at the other.  Tom scooped Daphne up with one arm while, Valerie reached up for Bobbie and gave him a hug of her own.  Together they walked to the house with the kids in their arms.
     
    ***
     
    “Come on, Daphne!”  Valerie called.  The girl caught a high throw from Melia, her team Captain, and charged forward with the ball under her arm.  A particularly tenacious and large seven year old on the opposite team, lunged for her from the side and Daphne pivoted, just as Valerie taught her, keeping the tags at her back out of his reach.  It barely interrupted her run and another defender was coming at her, just not quite quick enough.  In mid-stride, she threw the ball straight for the one metre square goal high on the wall.  The ball caught the lip with just enough angle to spin in and give the Gooseberry’s the lead.
    The stands were packed at the cup final.  The Gooseberry’s parents and supporters cheered loudly.  Bobbie jumped up and down in his customary place on Tom’s shoulders.  Her husband letting everyone know just whose little girl scored.  Valerie clapped, cheered and whooped with the best of them.  Daphne jogged back to her team, waving at her family.  The two Flyball teams settled themselves back into position on their respective sides of the large court, ready to begin again.  
    Flyball was the junior and introductory sport to its bigger and nastier cousin Blitzball.  A more relaxed game it was designed for younger and casual players.  It didn’t have the full contact and flight elements of Blitzball that made it so exciting and dangerous.  The rules were very similar and just as simple.  Eleven players on each team, with the objective to take the single ball and get it into the opponents goal, by any means necessary.  The ball could be carried, passed or kicked in any direction.  An opponent could be tackled by any member of the other team, if they were within a proximity of one metre of the ball.  Tackling for Flyball, simply meant removing a cloth tag static bonded to the small of the back of each player. 
    Blitzball used the same rules, with the addition of anti-grav technology, giving the players full flight capability and full contact tackles, for anyone within five metres of the ball.  When played professionally, it was a brutal