X marks the spot

The Return

"So, what's the plan?" Katie asked, driving her and her brother back to base. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't happy he was staying. Dead or not in that world, she was alive here. That was all that mattered to her.

"We get back, take what we need. Then we go find mum." She nodded with his plan. The two had been too caught up in this whole debacle to think about her.

"Which one of us is adopted?" Aaron's question made her look at him like he was insane.

"Really?" She asked, letting out a small laugh.

"Yeah..." He found himself smiling back too. He knew he was stupid. But while he genuinely wanted to know, his main goal seemed to have been fulfilled with the question. He snorted at it, the two then starting to really break. Laughing their asses off about a simple question. Tears even pooled their eyes with laughter as, if anyone else would have seen them, then they would've looked completely insane. They probably were. They didn't even know why they found the question funny.

"I am. You probably don't remember. It was after you guys finally ran from Robert. I offered you guys a place to stay. And you took it. Bethany repaid it. Call it mothers intuition or whatever. But she seemed to realise what I needed." Katie explained.

"And what was that?" Aaron queered. Katie broke out into another smile.

"A family." Was the answer she gave.

"You're a good sister." He complimented.

She looked at him for a moment before back out to the road, "Just doing my job."

The hanger doors opened. "Right, I'll get some shit from my room. You pack whatever you can without getting caught, alright?" Aaron nodded, the two splitting up.

Aaron started walking in his direction, stopping when he saw Mack and Hope. The girl was asleep under her fathers arm.

Mack finally noticed Aaron, his smile dimming a small amount. But it ultimately stayed. Aaron gave a tiny one back. For Aaron, this wasn't great. To get to his destination, he had to walk through Mack. Fuck.

Aaron found himself pressing on, despite everything in him stressing that this would not end well. He paused at the man and his daughter. Eyes softening slightly. Smile growing more. "Listen, I -uh. Well... There's a place not far from here. Guys can get you and Hope out, if you want. But, if not. Katie has a room that you can use, if you want." Mack seemed touched by the offer, his smile growing a little. A small bit of their relationship seemed to be repaid by the simple offer.

"What's your plan?" Mack asked, his voice not being the judgmental one Aaron had been waiting for. Instead, it was kinder. Like the soft and forgiving person Mack was back home. Internally, Aaron let out a breath, happy that the man hadn't lost that part of himself.

"We're gonna go find my mum. Don't know where she is. But we'll find her. And probably skip town. Find a new place to settle down. Start over, you know?" Mack nodded, his soft smile seeming to go even softer. His demeanour calmed. Or maybe that was because his daughter had moved for a moment under his arm to get more comfortable. Aaron didn't know. Although, really, he liked to hope that it was a mix of both.

"Well, I hope you find her kid. You deserve a break." Aaron let out a small laugh at it, it was loud at first, but he quietened it once he remembered hope.

"Don't we all." Mack himself let out a short, quiet laugh of his own.

Aaron held out his hand, it being the best way for him to end things with him here. Mack looked back at his daughter as he moved, careful to make sure that he didn't wake her. Aaron moved forward more, bending down to help ease the father. And then Mack's much larger hand was in Aaron's. If this was goodbye, it would be satisfactory enough for Aaron.