The Long Journey Home (Completed)

Chapter 16 (Edited)

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war,

and a time for peace.

I pulled up to my house, my eyes burning from the lack of tears. Somehow, Gabriel had gotten Patrick and Nila out of the room while I was singing, so he didn't get to see him die. Dr. Agetha had told me to take the rest of the day off, so I was home earlier than usual.

Jasmine was pissed when she found that we had to leave early and muttered something along the lines of me getting my emotions checked out. She hadn't asked me as to why we had to leave and just blamed whatever was going on in her mind on me.

"Ember," a soft voice said, breaking me from my thoughts. Someone placed their hand on my shoulder, and I couldn't help but turn to look at Gabriel. Concern filled the teenage boy, and I could see that he was worried about me. "Are you alright?"

I sighed and forced a smile on my face. I knew that Gabriel didn't believe it because I was sure that it looked like a grimace. "Ya, I'm fine," I said. "I just lost two important people in my life, but I'm still living." I tried to joke, but I knew that it wasn't a good one.

"God-"

"Now, please, don't start with me about Him," I interrupted. I unbuckled my seatbelt. "Right now, I'm highly pissed at Him, and I just want to deal with this on my own."

Something flicked on Gabriel's face as if I had betrayed him, but he didn't say a word about that feeling. "You can cry," he said. "You don't have to hold it in."

I shook my head. "I can't," I whispered. "I can't just cry and feel better. I have to be strong for my family. Mom needs me here, and Jason is about to get married..." I shook my head, again and sighed. "It doesn't matter. Come on, you need to get some work, and I might want to take a shower."

Gabriel sighed and nodded his head. He was about to get out before he paused and looked at me. "He still loves you," he said, softly. "You can not stop that power from him, even if you try." With that, he opened the door and closed it, leaving me to my thoughts.

***

"Emmmm," Lilly said when I came in. She looked up from where she was lying on the floor, chocolate covering her face and hands. A smile appeared on her face, showing her two front teeth while she lifted her hands up. "Up."

I smiled and picked up my little sister. "Hey, Baby," I cooed. "Did you get into the chocolate again?" I teased.

Lilly grinned and shook her head. "No," she replied. She made 'gimme hands', and I knew that she wanted some more. "More."

"Sorry, Baby," I said. "You don't need anymore." I poked her stomach, causing her to giggle. "You will get a tummy ache." I walked to the sink and pulled out some paper towels before turning on the water. "Do you want to get cleaned up?"

"No," Lilly said. No was her favorite word.

"But you are dirty," I reasoned, testing the water to make sure that it was warm enough, but not hot enough to burn her. I placed the paper towels underneath the water and sighed. "We need to get you all cleaned up."

"No, more. Pwease," Lilly said, stuffing her hand into her mouth and looking at me with those big eyes that she had.

I shook my head and started to clean her up much to her complaining. "Sorry, Baby."

Lilly tried to get out of my grip and screeched a bit. "Didi," she yelled, kicking her legs.

I paused in my cleaning and looked at her, my eyes watering a bit. Didi was her saying Dad, even though she couldn't say it. I shook my head and sighed. "Didi is sleeping," I said, my heart growing heavy. "Didi loves you."

Lilly looked at me, her eyes filling with tears. She put her arms around my neck and gave me a hug while she cried. "Didi," she whimpered. "I wan Didi."

I hugged her as well while two traitorous tears fell out of my eyes. "I know baby," I cooed. "I want Didi too." I cleared my throat, hoping that I wouldn't cry in front of her. "I want him too."

***

"Come on, show Mommy what we had played," a voice, sounding like a recording said.

"Didi," Lilly said, picking her head up from my shoulder. She started to reach towards the living room where we heard the voice.

"No," a smaller version of myself said, stubbornly. "I am not going to play the guitar."

There was a masculine chuckle. "And why not?"

I moved toward the living room just in time to see the camera being moved from one person to another.

My father appeared on the screen, a smile on his face. "And why not?" he asked, poking a six-year-old me in the stomach.

I laughed and pushed his hand away. "Jason says it hurts the baby's ears," I replied. I grinned and moved a curl out of my face. I looked towards where my brother was which was off the camera before Mom moved it over to where he was sitting.

"Now, did you tell your sister that," Dad scowled, causing a younger looking Jason to shrug his shoulder.

Jason moved from where he was at and went to sit by Dad, letting Mom focus the camera on all three of us. "She sounds horrible," he said, sticking his tongue out at me.

Me being six, I stuck my tongue back out at him.

I set Lilly down just as my father laughed and shook his head. I watched as both the younger me and younger Jason started an argument as to who was right and who was wrong. We then started to have an argument on what gender the baby was.

"Now, now," Mom chided us from off screen, causing us to stop and look at her. "Behave you two."

I couldn't help but chuckle when both of us glared at one another and then looked at our father who was looking at our mother. I can still see the love that Dad had for her in his eyes and the way his lips curved into a small smile.

"Come on, let's see what you can do," Dad said, turning his attention back to me. He reached down and picked up the guitar that was beside him and handed it to me.

I huffed and took the guitar. "Yes, Sir," I replied, rolling my eyes, causing him to chuckle.

"Now, now, Squirt," he teased. "Be nice to your old man."

I stuck my tongue out at him before starting to play the guitar and sing my 'ABC's'.

I couldn't help but chuckle and wince, hating the fact that my voice sounded like I was some sort of banshee and for the fact that my guitar handiwork wasn't as good as it was now. I felt someone's gaze on me and tore my gaze away from my brother's groaning as I screeched louder to see Jason looking at me.

He smiled and patted the space beside him, causing me to walk over and sit beside him. He pulled me closer to him and let me lay my head on his shoulder just as my father clapped when I was done playing the song.

"Perfect," he praised. "Now, why don't we work on your voice to make it sound less like a banshee."

Jason chuckled and pulled my gaze, again away from the old home video. He looked at me, smiling. Unshed tears were in his eyes, and I knew that he was trying to hold them in. "You did sound horrible," he said.

I rolled my eyes and turned to the video just in time to see Lilly kiss the screen when there was a close up of our father.