Arriving Home At Last

        ‘It was sunny. It really shouldn't be though’ thought Maxis as he stood alone at the bus station, his ticket in his hand. Looking around, eyes sharp to catch any glimpse of Danny, Miranda, or Lina. It had been nearing six years since he had been in Sleven Hills; the town that had once been his home. Sighing, he grabbed his duffle from where it rested against his leg and swung it over his shoulder, stuffing the ticket into his trouser pocket. Turning to the exit he walked back in to the terminal and out to the main road, heading down the road to a nearby coffee shop. Staring at his feet, Maxis didn't notice when the door opened and he plowed right into the women who was stepping out. His head snapping up at her shout of surprise.

        “What the ever loving fudge Sunday?!”

        Maxis shot his hands in front of him, catching the women by the shoulders, “Are you alright?”

        A second women who had slipped out behind the one Maxis bumped into was laughing loudly, her chin length fiery curls bouncing around her oval face. The first women stared up at him, doe brown eyes blown wide.

        “Maxis?”

        The other woman’s laughter cut off abruptly. “What?”

        Grasping his chin, the red-head yanked his face down to her. Sneering, he pulled back pulled away from both women. “The fuck are you?”

        The doe eyed women straightened her crooked hat, “Well, I’m Lina. And the cackling dumb-ass with no regard for personal bubbles is Miranda.”

        “Randy” the red-head, Miranda, interrupted

        Brown eyes rolled in their sockets, “Randy.”

        Maxis snatched his bag from where it fell to the ground, “You’re aware that you’re late, right?” he shrugged his bag over his shoulder again, “and yeah, I’m Maxis.”
Both girls screamed and jumped, hugging his tightly, he dropped the duffle for the second time as his hands reached out and curled around their shoulders in surprise. Fiery curls and sleek dark chocolate hair teased against the base of his throat.


        “Welcome Home!”

        Flinching, he pulled away, “Home. Yeah, right…”

        Red – Randy – pulled back, hazel eyes bemused, “What’s with the sarcasm? I thought you would be happy to see us all again”

        A heart shaped face and large doe eyes looked up at him with a slightly hurt expression. “Even the weather is being welcoming”

        Maxis looked up, “It shouldn't be so sunny” he told them, echoing his earlier thoughts. “This place is painful.”

        Both women sighed, Randy taking his bag and both women twisting their arms around his as they moved to wither side of him. “Just what’s that suppose to mean?” Lina asked softly.

        Shrugging, Maxis glanced up at the sky again before looking straight, letting the girls lead him away. “Come bitter rain and wash from my heart that saddest of all words: Home. The only reason I’m here is because another person is dead and I’m the one who has to deal with the fall-out”

        Miranda pulled away from him and moved to stand in front of him. Forcing him to look at her she spoke strongly, “I know coming to bury your uncle is hard but Lina, Danny, me and hell, even Jackson are gonna be there for you. We lost him too you know.”
Maxis pulled Miranda back to his side and draped his arm over her shoulder, sliding his other arm around to do the same to Lina. “Thank you.”

        Lina’s voice was slightly muffled against his side, “For the strength of the Pack is the wolf and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack. We’re not going anywhere and nothing can make us.”

        Maxis let a small smile form on his mouth for the first time since he found that his Uncle had died. Walking with these two women, he was finally home.