"Sorry If it took so long." Dawn apologized to her family. "Are we running late?"

Samuel shook his head. "Just a minute." He replied.

"Oh, right." Dawn stammered.

"Well, lets go!" Daniel exclaimed.

The Jamesons exited the school building and to the parking lot where their father's car was located. They then started the car and drove to the Italian restaurant as a celebration of their daughter's good job in the talent show.

~At the restaurant~

The family ordered their favourite Italian food at that restaurant. Dawn ordered baked spaghetti with 2 slices of garlic bread, Jane had spaghetti Bolognese, Samuel and Daniel ordered regular spaghetti with meatballs and Penelope ordered creamy ravioli pasta. And the family also had some nice chats about Dawn's singing and opera music.

"One of the boys in the gang made fun of my voice back there." Dawn said as she had her sip of ice water.

"That's rude!" Jane gasped.

"I know." Dawn sighed. "It's hard to ignore them."

Penelope sighed. "What did they say, sweetie?"

"They said I was whining like a four year old." Dawn answered. Samuel frowned. "You sounded lovely." He said to his daughter. "Thanks, dad." She said.

Daniel ate his food. "I'm going to beat them up." He said with his mouth full.  "Daniel, no." Jane warned him. "You don't even go to her school."

"Doesn't mean I can't fight them." Daniel said. Penelope gave her son a look. "No..."

"Fine. Whatever..." he muttered to himself and went back to eating. "I'm serious, son." Samuel warned him. "We're serious." Penelope nodded. She turned to her daughter. "Dawn are you alright?" Dawn nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." She answered.

Jane sighed. "How long have they been doing that?" She asked.

"A couple weeks." Dawn sighed.

Jane bit her lip. "Who stopped them?" Dawn paused for a second. "Uh..a friend." She answered.

Samuel raised a brow. "Oh? Who was it?" "It was..uh..Peter." Dawn answered.

"That Pevensie boy Peter?" Samuel raised his brow again. Dawn bit her lip. "N-no." She lied.

Samuel sighed. "Are you sure?" "Um, yes." Dawn replied. "There are quite a number of Peters in my school."

Samuel nodded. "Oh okay." He said, and continued eating his dinner.

The rest of the night went well, although Dawn felt bad about lying. The family enjoyed their dinner at the restaurant and had some chats about other stuff. Eventually paid the bill, drove home and Dawn went asleep, thinking what a good time she had despite being bullied and the lies.

~Early September 1939~

War has broken out in Europe which was started by the Nazi Germans led by Adolf Hitler. It was also known as the Second World War, or World War II. They conquered numerous countries within the continent that it caused so many bloodshed and a number of  people began losing their lives. Although Britain, at this time has not been invaded by the Germans, several men began leaving their homes and their families behind to join the Royal Armed Forces to fight for their country. And to protect it and their families. Without Penelope and the three children's knowledge, Samuel contemplated on registering for the draft to war whether or not.

As weekend came by, which was his day off from work, he then made a decision to do so, thinking that it was the right thing. While Penelope, Jane and Dawn went out for grocery shopping and Daniel went to soccer practice, Samuel sneaked out of their home to go register to join the army while Bingo took a nap. There, he waited in a queue with six other men. Once it was his turn to sign up for the war, he was then given the RAF uniforms and registration papers by one of the soldiers at the registration center. Then he drove himself back home. Samuel placed his uniform and papers on he and his wife's bedroom table and looked at them for quite a long time. He picked Bingo up from his dog bed and went to living room to spend time with him for one last time.

"Da-ad!" Samuel heard Dawn's voice. "We're back!" He bolted to his bedroom much to his wife and daughters' confusion, little did he know. He hid his uniform and his registration papers under his bed and came out of the room to find Dawn, his wife and Jane with a bag full of groceries.

"Oh, hi girls." He awkwardly greeted. "Hello, honey. Glad you came."

"Hi, hon." Penelope said. "Everything alright?"

"Y-yes." Samuel stammered. "It's all good."

Penelope raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" She asked. "Because you seemed a little strange lately."

"No, no." Samuel shook his head. "Everything's fine." He told his wife as he tried to cover the truth. Penelope just shrugged her shoulders and turned away to unpack groceries with her daughters. Samuel went to help them out. He put some fruits and vegetables in the fridge and put on his long trench coat. "I'm going to go pick up Daniel from soccer class." He announced his wife and daughters. "Be careful out there, honey. Don't be late." Penelope warned her husband. "Things aren't going very well in the world these days."

"I know." Samuel sighed. "Don't worry, I'll be right back." He exited their house closing the door behind him, and walked up to his car that he had been driving for quite a long time. Knowing that this will be the last time to drive his own car, he took a deep breath, started the car engine and drove away to pick Daniel up for the last time. Little did he know, his wife and two daughters were about to find out the truth.

As soon as Samuel arrived at the soccer field, he saw his son chatting with few of his fellow teammates. He honked his car and whistled. "Daniel!"

"There's my dad." He told his teammates. "I got to go."

"Alright." They smiled. "See you later, Danny." Daniel grabbed his ball and his bag and headed towards his father's car. They both then drove themselves home, not knowing of what was going happen when they arrive.

Meanwhile, once after Penelope and the girls unpacked their groceries and tidied them in the fridge, she became suspicious of her husband's sneaky behaviour. That also includes daydreaming, being in a rush and playing with Bingo for a long time. Penelope was filled with curiosity that she decided to look for clues in the bedroom she shared with Samuel. She went through the desk and drawers, she looked through his dresser and their closets. But nothing unfamiliar was in there. Not one bit. So Penelope then sought under the bed where she discovered olive coloured uniforms and some papers.

"Oh, what are these?" She expressed confusion as she picked them up from under the bed. Penelope unfolded the uniforms and thoroughly read the registration papers.

"NO!!" She cried out and fell to her knees on the floor. Jane and Dawn heard their mother's cry and rushed to their parents' bedroom to find her gasping, crying and in shock.

"Mum?" Jane asked. "What's wrong?" Dawn asked worryingly. Penelope cried more. Jane rubbed her mother's back.

"What is it?" Dawn's voice quivered. "Please tell us."

"Your father has...your father...he just signed up for war!" Her mother sobbed. "Without even telling us!" She was so shocked by her husband's choice that she cried all over again.

Jane gasped. "WHAT? WHY?!"

"I don't know, sweetie." Penelope sobbed. "Now I know why something's quite strange with your father..."

"Like what?" Dawn asked.

"He seemed to be a bit sneaky by rushing back in room when we came back from shopping earlier. And spending time with Bingo all by himself and daydreaming for...quite a long time during his day off." Penelope answered.

Jane and Dawn made a face. "Hmm..that's odd..." Jane said. "I know.." Dawn said. "What will we do?"

"What can we do?" Jane asked.

"Maybe we should have a family meeting when he comes back." Penelope said, wiping tears away from her face. The girls nodded.

A few minutes later, Samuel and Daniel arrived at their house. And his wife and daughters were waiting. "We're home!" He announced them. Penelope was sitting at the dining table. "In the living room, now, please." She announced back. Samuel went in the living room. Daniel followed his father there where his mother and daughters were sitting, looking very sad. There, the papers and the uniform were laid on the living room table.

"W-what's going on?" Daniel looked confused at his parents.

Penelope sighed. "Why don't you tell him, Samuel?"

"Tell him what?" Samuel asked his wife. The whole family sat in the living room.

"War?! Sam, are you serious?" Penelope half shouted, looking at her husband.

Samuel sighed. "I'm going." Daniel turned his head to his father speechless. "What?" He gasped. "Why?"

"Honey, why didn't you tell us?" Penelope burst into tears. "Or at least get our permission?!"

Samuel sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Please...how could you do this to us?!" Penelope sobbed. "We love you so much!" Samuel went to hug her, but she dodged his embrace. "Don't!" Penelope cried and paced around the living room. "Please, please...just relax." Samuel tried to calm her down. "How could you do this to us...how?" She bent down with her hands on both sides of her head. "Oh my God...oh my God!" She continued to sob.

"I thought all the people would understand." Samuel tried to reason with his wife. "How come you don't understand?"

"What if we lose you?" Penelope said.

"What about Grandpa Paul and Grandma Anne?" Dawn added. "Your parents? You're their only child!"

Samuel sighed. "I know, I know." He said. Daniel started to cry, knowing that he was not going to see his father again for a long time. "What are they ever going to do without you?" Jane asked.

"Stay strong, stay together." Samuel said.

"What if we lose you, dad?" Daniel sobbed. Jane nodded. "Yeah!"

Samuel sighed. "I don't know."

"Oh God, oh God..." Penelope then buried her hands in her face. Samuel didn't know what to say.

"When will you be leaving?" Dawn asked sadly.

"In three days, dear." Samuel replied. Jane sighed. "Dad..."

"Dad, don't leave us!" Daniel cried as he ran to his father's arms. Samuel kissed Daniel's head. "I'm sorry." Jane and Dawn started crying and joined their brother. Penelope joined them crying. Samuel held his wife and children close. And they all cried for a long time. They have never been felt so sad and shocked by this in a while. And after that, Samuel and Penelope headed to their room to make a phone call to Grandpa Paul and Grandma Anne to let them know. Daniel wouldn't stop crying as he had been so close to his father, like a best friend. Jane and Dawn embraced him and the three of them cried together.

~3 days later~

One evening, an army truck arrived in front of the Pevensie and the Jamesons houses. Penelope looked at the truck and sighed sadly. "It's time, dear." She and her children turned to see Samuel fully dressed in his RAF uniform armed with a rifle. The Jamesons walk out to the front of their house with Bingo and they saw the Pevensie children and Helen bidding goodbye to Henry. Jane wrapped her arms around her father. "I love you, dad." Samuel hugged her back. "I love you more." Jane nodded. "Me too." She sniffled.

"Daddy, don't go!" Daniel cried, hugging him. "I want to go with you!" Samuel sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, son..."

"What am I ever going to do without you?" Dawn sobbed as she joined the hug. Her father started to cry a bit. "Stay strong." He replied. "We'll try..." Dawn whimpered.

"Please, come back.." Daniel added. Samuel nodded. "I promise. I'll be thinking of you kids and your mother every single day, and fighting for you on the battlefield." "I'll miss all the rides to school and places with you, dad." Daniel said. Samuel nodded again. He looked at Penelope. "Promise me you'll look after the others and yourself, dear, okay?" He asked. Penelope nodded. "I-I promise."

Samuel knelt down with one knee and pet Bingo for the last time. "Be a good doggy while I'm gone, alright?" He said to their pet puppy. Bingo barked, which Samuel took that as a yes. "Good boy." He smiled and kissed him.

Samuel and Penelope shared their one last kiss and embrace. He then kissed their children's foreheads and headed towards the army truck along with Henry.

"I love you all!" He called out to his family as he got up into the truck. "Godspeed, dad!" Dawn called out back. Henry followed after Samuel. "I love you five! May God bless you and be with you all!" He also called out to Helen and their four children who were also crying. Lucy cried the most. As the truck started the engine and began to move, Daniel began to run after it. "Dad!" Daniel cried as he raced down the street. Samuel waved from the car. "Dad, don't forsake meee!" He wailed, with tears falling endlessly down his cheeks. "DAAD!! Please...come back! I want to go with you!" Penelope and her daughters cried as they watched Samuel go. Dawn's Pevensie friends and Helen also watched.

Lucy sighed as she went back inside with her mother. Penelope ran after her son to catch him. Peter, Susan and Edmund stood outside, feeling bad for the Jamesons. Penelope caught Daniel and took him back to the house crying. Daniel squirmed in his mother's arms. He saw the Pevensies and glared at them. "What are you all looking at?!" He lashed out. His mother told him to hush his voice. Edmund glared at him back.

Penelope, Jane and Daniel went back inside. Susan and Edmund also went back in their house, except Peter and Dawn.

Dawn looked at Peter with her tear stained cheeks and her eyes red from crying. Peter decided to go over to her. He exited his front yard and turned towards the front yard of her house. Dawn burst into tears as she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend. Peter held her close and cried as well. Dawn's crying was more bitter. "I'm sorry about my brother's outbursts.." she sobbed. Peter sighed. "It's alright."

"I'm so scared for my dad..." Dawn went on. "He registered to go to war without our knowledge."

"Same as my father." Peter said. "He didn't tell us either." Dawn sighed. "I'm sorry." Peter looked away. "Dawn." Penelope called out to her daughter. "Let's go back in."

Peter sighed. "Love you."

"Love you too." Dawn sniffed as she wiped her tears. They both kissed each other's cheek and left. Dawn got into her house and ran upstairs to her bedroom crying, as she laid in her bed. Daniel locked himself in his room, crying harder that his broken heart would or could never be mended. Penelope went to her room where she laid on the bed that she and Samuel shared. She looked at the empty side of the bed and a photo of her and Samuel's wedding next to her. She sorrowfully cried. Jane approached to her parents' room with a tray of cup of tea, but was unsure if it was the right time.

"Mum?" Jane asked.

"Yes?" Her mother whimpered. "May I come in?" Jane asked.

"Not now, sweetheart." Penelope sobbed. Jane nodded. "Okay mum." She agreed. Jane went back to the dining room and gently laid the tray on the table. She sat by it, buried her hands in her face and cried, feeling sad and sorry for her family and herself, including the Pevensies. Jane gathered both of her hands and uttered a prayer for them.

"Dear God, please hear my prayer. Help us and my father and Mr. Pevensie. They have just been drafted to war. Please protect them, guide them and give them strength and courage, so they can fight for our country and survive this battle. Watch over our fathers, God. And please return them to us and them safely. Please, God...just help us.
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray..Amen."

Jane sighed and began to drink the cup of tea from the tray, hoping for the best but to prepare for the worst. As the eldest of the three, she knew she is responsible Dawn and Daniel. And Jane knew she could do whatever she could to look after them and her mother. Little did the Pevensies and the Jamesons know, something horrific may happen in their town during their fathers' absence in the war.

A/N: Sorry this was such a long chapter!