Home... TW/AA

Chapter 18

Mitch wasn't sure how he got there. The last thing he remembered was seeing that deer in the middle of the road and then it all goes black. He noticed that there was no one in sight, not a single living soul.

He saw his front door and hesitantly opened it. He looked around and everything was the same, it was the same but it was different. It was like walking into his house at the age of six when his mother was already home making lunch to take to his father.

Oh how he'd beg his mother to go with her, though there was no point in begging because even if she said he had to do his homework or take a shower or that she just couldn't take him with her, she'd still always take him and it was the highlight of his day.

At the same time, it was like walking through the front door only a few weeks ago. With all the new pictures and the different furniture and decor. He remembered the feeling he got when he saw Scott in all of the pictures but not himself.

He walked further into his childhood home and into the living room where he saw them. He stopped dead in his tracks, he couldn't move. He wanted so badly for it not to be a dream but he knew it had to be. It had to be but he never wanted to wake up.

There, sitting on the living room couches, was his family. His mom, Allison, Katrina, and even his dad. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't move, he couldn't believe that he'd get a chance to be with them again. Not in his lifetime.

"What happened Mitch?" He heard his dad say and it was only then that he realized he was moving and all but tackled his dad in a bear hug. After he finished hugging him he took a chance and went over to his mom, Allison, and Katrina.

He was so happy and he hoped to be able to tell everyone how sorry he was but first he answered his father's question "I-I don't know. One minute I'm driving and a deer comes out into the road and the next I'm here.... in front of all of you."

"Where are we?" Hw asked when he realized he didn't know. This time Allison answered "You were in that crash and now we are here to see whether you want to stay or go." Mitch knew what he was going to say without every thinking about it "I wanna go. With you. I want to be with all of you again."

"Sweetie before you make that decision you need to think about your friends, you're family. You can't leave them behind." Claudia insisted, knowing the repercussions  of deciding to go has on loved ones that are still alive.

"B-But all of you went. Y-You left us. Y-You left me! You left me alone! How could you do that? If it was so easy, why can't I do the same? Huh? I can't go back when I have lost everyone.... I can't." Mitch said on the verge of tears, which was a bit new since he hadn't really cried in a long time.

"Stiles.' he heard his mom say, so he turned to face her 'Leaving you was never easy but we knew you would be okay. You were never alone. You always had the pack. Your dad. You have Irene and Stan. You have Annika .-" She said and he knew they were there but they weren't them.

"But they weren't you. I needed my mom. And I needed my best friend. And I needed my fiancé." Mitch said with so much emotion in his voice, something he hadn't done since Katrina. "You're wrong.' he turned around and was met with Katrina 'You know what I'm talking about Mitch."

"Melissa, Stan, and even Chris are practically your surrogate parents. Scott has been your best friend since you guys were four, before Allison. And I know that you were thinking about proposing to her. To Annika." Mitch looked at her with a sorry look but Katrina just shook her head.

"It's okay. You know why? Because you deserve to be happy. So why can't you let yourself?" And in that moment it was as if something in Mitch had switched. He'd blamed himself for everything that had happened and somehow (no matter how crazy it sounds) it was as if he needed to hear it from the people sitting around the room.

He needed to hear the they didn't blame him, they wanted him to be happy. He could feel their love and all he could say "I'm sorry." and "I love you and I miss you guys so much." And that was when the beeping started.

It was a steady noise and when he heard it he thought 'A heart monitor.' Then one by one they started to fade. Katrina "Be happy Mitch." Allison "I love you Stiles." His mom "I'm proud of you Mischief." And finally his dad "As soon as you can, check the top drawer of my night stand. Goodbye, Mitch."

Mitch felt a sudden warmth and everything went dark. He could hear the beeping of the heart monitor getting louder and louder and he could hear some distant, muffled voices all around him. They were getting louder, closer and clearer.

"I love you Mitch."... "Wake up Mitch."... "We can't lose you again."... "We can't lose you too."... He tried focusing his strength on trying to move something, anything. He could feel his finger move and was now focusing on opening his eyes. 

He could who he thinks is Melissa and maybe Annika encouraging him to open his eyes, which he is finding easier said than done but he keeps trying. Finally his eyes start to flutter open only to be blinded by the overhead light.

He blinked a few times so that he could adjust to the brightness and clear up some of the fogginess clouding his vision. Once it was clear he saw Annika hovering above him.

"Mitch."

___________________________________