The Iron giant: Hogarth meets Deirdre

Chapter 35

A few days later, Annie and Dean had came back from their honeymoon, happy they had a good time. When they came to Mr. Franklin's house, they happily greeted the kids.

Annie went to hug her son and then Deidre. "Hogarth! Deidre! Oh, how I've missed you both!"
Dean shook both the kids shoulders in a friendly manner.
"Hey, my girl, son! You two been good for Mr. Franklin here?"
"Oh, they been angels! Haven't got into a speck of trouble. No need to worry about that."
"Oh that's great news, Henry. Come on, Hogarth. Say bye to Deidre and let's go home."
"Bye, Deidre."
"Bye, Hogarth."
"You can stay here a bit more with Deidre if you want, Giant."
But they both looked at each other knowing their plan. After greeting Mr. Franklin and Deidre goodbye, Hogarth, Pipsqueak, Dean, and Annie got in the car and drove home. Giant decided to stay with Deidre a bit longer.

Deidre did some drawing in her backyard, deep in thought and singing to herself. She and Rover were sitting on Giant's shoulder, while Giant contently listened to Deidre's singing.
Deidre started to talk about her thoughts to Giant.

"Giant, that dream felt so real I thought I was actually on it. It's unlike any other dream that I ever had. I know it probably felt real to you, too. But I just have  so many questions about this dream; who were those robotic voices, especially the one who clams himself as Otrotron. Don't you know who that was Giant."
"He is our leader", Giant answered.
"He was? So he was like the ruler of the planet, right? He made it off the Byrotron before it was destroyed? Is he planning to lead the other here to take over Earth?"

Giant looked at Deidre with an expression that possibly answered a "maybe" or even a "Yes."
"I'm taking that as a possibility, then. Do you think that they would come here anytime time soon? Or maybe they could decide to take over another planet? No, they couldn't because they said the general was here."
"Who or what, could the general be. Could he be anywhere on earth? Or maybe he could be here. God, I don't where he could be."
She gasped for a breath after speaking fast.
"God, Giant. I'm probably annoying you with all this, am I ?"

"No,", Giant answered. He was actually interested in what Deidre was talking about.
"Oh, good. Okay. But there is one question that bugs me the most; what does my Mom have to do with this? She was a regular human being like I am. How is she involved in this?"
Wait....or many I should follow my gut and know Dad is  definitely hiding something from me about mom. That could be it, might it be, Giant?"
She saw that Giant was occupied looking at Deidre's mother on one of her paintings, marveling at her beauty.
"My mom's pretty, isn't she?"
"Giant didn't answer, but shockingly said her mother's name, "Deirdre."

Deidre's eyes widen.
"Giant, how did you know her name. I never remember telling or showing you it. Maybe Dad might have told you didn't he?"
Giant didn't answer and Deidre took that as a no. To settle her suspicion, she climbed down Giant's arm and went inside to see her dad.
"Dad, I have a question."
Mr. Franklin turned and smiled seeing her daughter. He was watching TV
"Yes, whatcha need, sweetie?"
"Did you ever tell Giant Mom's name?"
Mr. Franklin looked at Deidre like he didn't know what she was talking about. He shook his saying,
"No, honey. I never told Giant. Why'd you ask."
"Oh, nothing, dad. Just wanted to know. Love you."
"Love you, too." Deidre walked out the house not facing her dad, but she somehow sense him looking at her in a strange way, with that same feeling he had given off last night after the dream incident.

Deidre knew there was another mystery to solve. It was like they were staring to pop up anywhere. She wanted to know about all of them. She needed to talk to Hogarth about this that way they could figure this out. She climbed back up Giant's arm but didn't say anything about him knowing her mother's name. He sat there, rubbing Rover's head and leaning against Giant's head, sitting in reflective silence. There was a lot that she was going to have to talk to Hogarth about, but she couldn't let her dad or Mr. Popov know she was investigating this.